Nature of the Savage Beast
by Sivaatasi
Summary: Which is stronger? The environment without or the monster within? Will the inner Uzumaki survive the dark nature of the world he lives in or will the demon win out in the end? And what happens when Naruto gets help from the very monsters everyone in Konoha says he is supposed to fear? Powerful Naruto (AU) over time; NOT a harem story.
1. Chapter 1

_Introduction_:_ Nature Versus Nurture_

This is a redo of my first story, Nature of the Beast, written to include the sequel, Nature of the Beast – Taming of the Savage Beast. Much of it will seem very familiar to those of you able to read that first completed work, the good and the bad. Quite a bit of it will seem different and it should; as writers grow, so to should their work. I believe I have stayed true to my original intent of the first edition.

That aside, there are some things I need to state up front.

First off, I will staunchly admit that Kishimoto's world is pure genius (I make no claim of ownership to any of it through the entirety of my following work). To have the creative talent to generate Naruto's universe and everything in it belies a talent far greater than mine and, to him, I render all respect due. No, it's not the world I dislike but it's structure and his execution. For that disagreement I make no apologies.

Call me pessimist. Call me naysayer. You have that luxury just as I, in my isolated view from the externally juxtaposed position to this Narutoverse, can reciprocate. Many may say it is a pointless argument in a make-believe construct where a single man can obliterate an entire village with chakra and gravitational repulsion or that another can transform into a mythical demon reaching five stories into the air.

Some rules for those of you who stay with this story so there are no disappointments along the way:

If you are looking for wanton debauchery without purpose debasing women across the Narutoverse globe, you have come to the wrong place - please move along as there is nothing along those lines to see here. All of my debasement has meaning – it serves a purpose (although I've learned a bit since writing this the first time around and working on _No More_ in the interim, so things are much toned down on this second go around).

If you're looking for an epic love story faithfully loyal to canon, you will be bitterly disappointed; please move along and save yourself the agony.

This is NOT a harem piece, no matter how it may seem. Intimacy has its place and will be used as necessary to accent a point, not simply because I fantasize about gorgeous make-believe women.

Okay… every male fantasizes at some point about gorgeous make-believe women but that is not _the_ point here. (Let's be honest… there are naughty bits, but they aren't gratuitously naughty; it has an "M" rating for a reason.)

I do NOT write obscenely overdrawn fight scenes for the sake of verbosity nor for the sheer love of violence. My violence has purpose.

Finally, every progression takes time and ends at the appointed moment and not a moment before. If you're agreeable to my offer of mental distraction and entertainment, I offer you my treatise on nin-manity.

For those of you interested in my point of view, I give you my first fanfiction in what will be its final form.

Enjoy as you will.

_\- Siva'a-tasi_

~I I I~

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Evil That Men Do**

* * *

_Allied Command Ship, Off-Shore Near the Land of Whirlpools (Many years before our story begins)…_

Onoki looked out in disgust across the remaining joint force assaulting this fly speck of a village. True the combined military strength of four major villages and several smaller villages lashed together was impressive, however, this _combined might_ had just taken the "middle ring" after seven days of pitched combat. The blood price for that precious parcel of land had been horrific. If he had known when the Kages sat down to plan this that he would lose a third of his forces before ever claiming the beachhead, he would have turned his back on the whole scheme.

Now he was committed. Now it was too late to turn back.

The emergency Kage Summit had divided the main island, in this cluster of one large and three smaller land masses, into a series of four concentric rings labeled the "outer, middle, inner" and "core." The outer most ring consisted of two hundred yards of shoal water and the first fifty yards of beach head and that ring had cost nearly a full third of all combined forces. It was supposed to be a quick landing, an easy and overwhelming victory against a single clan. Onoki glanced down at yet another bloody Allied corpse floating past the ship's prow just to get hooked by line and tackle manned by the _Sea Sprite's_ crew and shook his head.

So much for easy.

Shoal waters around this island were filled with devastating whirlpools, and very competent Uzu water jutsu users, while the beachhead was a sluggish morass of sand and very, very deadly earth jutsu users capable of using lethal earth and sand techniques. The Tsuchikage hadn't seen fighters this deadly since the Second Great Shinobi war and his Suna allies were hard pressed to take the beachhead from them in order to secure the landing. It had taken four days to get that far with Suna forces rotating out in the constant assault. It had been brutal and the Uzumaki were ruthlessly unforgiving. The many broken invaders floating in the bloody shoal water and lying along the even bloodier shore bore silent testament to that fact.

"_Never piss off the Uzumaki."_ Wasn't that the old saying? Onoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage of Iwagakure no Sato, grimaced. He now faced an entire clan of embattled Uzumaki and it was a sobering concept.

Sharks were beginning to surface belly-up as a result of their frenzied gorging on human flesh. In their mindless buffet, they'd eaten until their stomachs burst.

Such was the greed of shinobi trying to plunder Uzushiogakure for the greatest secrets of the clan. Too bad their bodies seemed to explode upon death, often taking enemy combatants with them. Men, women, children… it didn't matter as they all burst into an enormous gout of flame upon death. Another explosion just past the beachline punctuated that grim thought with more red-clad body parts sailing through the air. Onoki shook his head again and looked at the remaining tally of shinobi still in fighting condition under his command.

There were far too few in Iwa red for his comfort.

Sighing once again at the cost of this battle, Onoki wondered how many generations it would take for his village to bounce back from today's losses. The obvious answer was many, but it was not a reality he wanted to face at the moment.

Too many if you asked his honest opinion.

Onoki couldn't fault them, the Uzumaki clan. They were fighting for their very existence against nations that had traded willingly and peacefully for goods and services with the island clan only a week ago. It was the height of hypocrisy and treachery. The Uzumaki were due their outrage. However, Onoki still had a job to do and he would see it through. This was the shinobi way after all.

What a colossal waste this was on both sides as a result of following the path of shinobi.

Defenders had long since evacuated villagers from the outer and inner ring sections employing a scorched earth style retreat. They left nothing for the invaders to use against them and fought to their last breath. Every inch gained cost dearly in blood, oft times twenty to thirty invaders for each defender. The only consolation being that fewer and fewer defenders were being encountered further up the shoreline, which initially raised the morale of invading forces… until those same invaders discovered that it cost more lives to defeat those fewer defenders and each concentric ring was more difficult to capture. The answer was simple: defenders were stronger the further in you pushed and it cost you more to push farther inland.

Onoki saw the logic behind this and wept a silent tear in tribute to the noble Uzumaki Clan; the weaker defenders filled the outer rings with the sole purpose of draining chakra from the invaders. As invaders moved further inland, they encountered stronger opposition capable of overlapping their area of influence and increasing their defensive power, which, in turn, required more effort, resources and time to overcome. Onoki could the see the fire in the eyes of the defending Uzumaki clan members and watched in silence as they stoically fought tooth and nail until that light faded, usually after reaching physical or chakra exhaustion making them vulnerable to a killing blow. Even in death they were silent warriors, no begging or pleading. _And the damnable berserkers still exploded when they died!_

They _knew_ another dawn for the Uzumaki would not come.

They _knew_ they were going to die to the last man, woman, and child.

They _knew_ this was a bitter war of attrition and each defender was doing their utmost to make the invaders pay in rivers of blood.

They also _knew_ they were succeeding.

Standing afloat in the outer ring with little under half the combined invasion force remaining, Onoki's eyes grew wide as sake saucers as they looked beyond his remaining ground troops to the inner ring and core holding the fabled Uzumaki shrine. They needed to hurry. Beyond the three youths standing on the temple grounds powerful chakra was rumbling in the earth below. He could feel the thrumming vibrations through his pointed shoes and feared one final strike of retribution from the vengeful clan. Their fury was legendary, almost as legendary as their skill with _fūin_.

This told him the invaders were running out of time.

~I I I~

Jiraiya could not take his eyes from the intricate seals being laid over every square inch of the Clan Shrine. All of the remaining seal masters of Clan Uzumaki had gathered and were calmly layering fresh ink in intricate and sequentially-linked patterns around the base of each column, the surrounding colonnades, and the shrine entry itself. Not a single one appeared rushed or panicked despite the ringing thunder and flashes of fire, lightning and other elements wreaking havoc in the inner village just beyond the clan enclosure. A great village was going to die today, ruthlessly stamped out by the combined greed and fear of the elemental nations and he and his teammates could do nothing to prevent it.

That Konoha was complacent in the act nearly made him retch where he stood.

He glanced to his left and right taking in the stoic faces at his sides.

Orochimaru was looking behind the small group, apprehension wrinkling the inner corner of his eyebrows just enough to make his smooth forehead pucker. People were fighting and dying with fanatical furor just beyond the compound gates and they were running out of time. It was clear on his face, his left hand twitching every time a defender died.

Tsunade was nervously glancing in the same direction, her hands and jaw clenched as she watched suffering spread through this peaceful village of _fūinjutsu_ masters, the last of a greatly skilled clan that had faithfully allied itself with Konoha for generations. She knew the Uzumaki were related to her Senju clan and that this was her extended family spilling their life's blood into the already sodden earth to buy time for the final ceremony taking place deep within the shrine behind her. In her pained eyes, Konoha's treachery knew no greater shame.

With one last heaving sigh, the self-proclaimed toad sage wrenched his eyes from the commiserating faces of his team and back to the large double doors of the Uzumaki temple, the happy-go-lucky lecher nowhere to be found.

~I I I~

Uzumaki Mito's face, the second Uzumaki to bear that name, was grim.

Deep in the lower levels of their clan shrine, the most sacred of places, her face was set as unyielding as the alabaster stone lining the ritual chamber all around her. She was tiring of Hachiko's pleading and dreading the outcome if this final ploy to save her clan's legacy.

"We will speak of this no more." The sword maiden's pleas died on her lips as she knew all too well what that phrase meant if she pressed the issue further.

Looking to her old friend and mentor, Mito glanced up to the village above their heads to the latest sounds of artificially-made thunder and silently urged them to finish the ceremony. One did not simply rush the most complicated ceremony in the history of Uzumaki _fūinjutsu_.

"How much more time do you need?" she asked between clenched teeth trying clearly to hide her desperation. It pained her that her family legacy would break after her mother held it together for so long but every story must end eventually.

If only it wasn't during her short time as temporary elder. They hadn't even appointed a permanent replacement after her mother died shortly after the Ceremony of Transition. Shaking loose her morbid thoughts, she snapped her eyes back to the old man puttering through his ceremony.

If he heard her question at all, the wizened scholar never broke his string of hand seals completing the seventieth one and slammed his bloody palm into the seal beneath his feet. The seal began to pulse then glow with a steady stream of red energy that slowly bled to white matching the eight other seals beneath the feet of eight similarly garbed, hooded and kneeling Uzumaki Clan masters. Once all nine seals were a steady stream of white energy, tendrils snaked out forming archaic glyphs interlocking each seal to the central master seal then linking to their adjacent counterpart making a glowing wheel hub and center spoke design. Ienaga Uzumaki lifted his head, eyes softening in a final farewell, as he memorized for the final time the loving face of a very young Mito Uzumaki, the last ruling Uzumaki of the Village Hidden among the Whirling Tides.

Mito smiled briefly then spun on her heel, slim wooden box in hand, and ascended out of the lower shrine before the seals ceased pulsing, wisps of chakra floating to the tiled ceiling.

Once outside, Mito headed straight for the three Konoha Jounin waiting patiently near the entrance. The double doors behind her closed with a hiss, a burning energy lining the door frame as potent seals activated causing the compound and earth surrounding it to shake violently, as she focused on the white-haired ringleader. Jiraiya's eyebrows raised to his hairline as she thrust the ornately inscribed and heavily lacquered box into his arms. It was seamless with no visible locks or keyholes, the clan symbols breathtakingly inlaid with gold centered on the surface where a lid should be.

"Are you sure you won't come with us?" He knew her answer but he would ask one last time just to be sure.

"You know that I cannot, Jiraiya-san. It will not end so long as I draw breath and _Sarutobi_," she hissed his name almost as a curse, "...remains Hokage. You know that he will not endanger his village for our sakes."

There were heavy doses of anger and resentment in that statement causing all three Jounin to turn confused faces to the very beautiful royal, all arguments of persuasion left to the wayside.

"I am placing great faith in you to make sure Uzumaki Kushina receives this." Her stony gaze brokered no other option. Failure was not optional. _'It's up to you now, cousin.'_

With a nod, the three shinobi body flickered away just as Mito drew her own blade and purposely strode to the gates of her clan shrine, her sword maiden trailing in her wake. They had done all they could to preserve the clan.

It was time to end this kabuki drama between villages, 'ttebaya!

~I I I~

Ginkōtaigō Toru knelt in the wet grass for the fifth day in a row with loathing, his eyes taking in the wide-spread destruction from his cliff's concealed vantage point. Today's sky was angry, with dark and roiling clouds masking the sun's warmth while below him man grunted, fought, bled, and died in the misery of war. He clutched his cloak about his shoulders as the wind whipped up around him, a fitting companion to the death and waste happening below.

His accompanying sniff was filled to the brim with disdain.

They disgusted him in every sense. Pitifully short-lived, _man_ had made a thorough mess of every endeavor, mucking up the very land with their blind morass of stumbling greed. How had the Thirteen allowed this manifestation to grow like the cancer it was?

His ears perked nervously – had he said that aloud or merely thought it? Girding himself tighter in the howling morning wind, he mentally reprimanded his lapse in discipline.

To ease his mind, he idly fussed with the same fleck of mud beleaguering his cloak. '_This will never come out. Ruined!'_

His mercurial mind flickered back to his last thought. '_Where was I, hmmmm? Oh, yes!' _

That way led to pain at the hands of the Justicars and his silver eyes flicked nervously to the nearest brush. Being one of the few clan males did not grant him immunity. His mouth twitched into a familiar sneer even before the first few drops fell from the sky. '_Perfect,' _he groused silently and tugged his hood down to further shield his face.

He had no idea why the Matron was interested in these blustering infants, this walking blight upon the land, but she ordered, thus he obeyed. For three turns of the cycle he obeyed. He would die obeying with none to mourn him.

That was not their way.

He knew one goal and only one. He needed to find _her._ Wherever she lay, whatever den or village or mudhole had hidden the Great Youko, he needs _must_ find her.

His body shifted as he noted the significant rise in power below, the thrumming vibration that shook the mountains and the bones deep in his chest before all went still. It was an ominous end and somewhat anti-climactic, yet it pulled at him, his body leaning forward of its own accord. It was then that he noticed them.

Three streaks fled northward toward his direction, one pausing to slam a hand down to the earth before summoning the largest frog… no, toad judging by the warty skin, he'd ever seen. He reflexively sniffed again. The thing must have stood forty spans high, the blue vest and blade at his side at odds with the pipe clamped in its warty lips. Unfortunately, he had little time to stand their slack-jawed as the beast gave one powerful flex of its hind quarters and cleared the distance between the island and shore of the mainland, another hop sending it high into the air and cleanly over the very cliff Toru observed from.

For the briefest of moments, his eyes locked with those of the three humans atop the creature's head before they were gone, the toad thumping his way with each earth-shattering leap deeper into the heart of Fire Country. Toru was no fool. He knew exactly what lay deeper into the Land of Flames, but his mind wandered to what might lay in that ornate box tucked firmly under the rather thick arm of the male with spiky white hair. The delicious delay only lasted a few moments more before his eyes were unavoidably drawn back to the tiny island under siege.

Cretins. _Neanderthals_ all of them.

It's tragic end was a foregone conclusion. He knew the outcome even as he turned back to it and settled back into a comfortable crouch. He would need to see its finale before returning to his clan's matron and dare not leave a moment beforehand. He could not help but be distracted though as his mind kept wandering back to the deliciously curious secrets hidden away in that secret treasure box.

Even before the battle ended he knew where his next journey would take him. Inside he shuddered contemplating a life among these beasts. Who would ever want to live a human's life? He simply could not fathom it.

Perhaps he should delay for the necessary diligence in investigating that other island group further east, just in case the remnants held more of the Uzumaki below. He sighed in anticipation of more agonizing moments attempting to keep the smelly creatures at arm's length as he hunted and pecked through the humanity of yet another mud hole village.

A servant's work was never done.

With another look of disgust, his fingers picked at the persistent blotch upon his cloak. If only he had fresh lemons he could…

~I I I~

When all was said and done, Onoki stormed from the island three days later empty-handed and, once his remaining troops had been recovered, began the long trek home without delay. Cries of the victorious force rang half-hearted in his ears and left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Their shinobi might have ultimately shattered the Uzumaki phalanx but at the cost of much blood, sweat and tears, their victory hollow and turning to ashes in their mouths with their morale equally broken. Weeks of non-stop effort and they hadn't even been able to breach the final dome protecting the shrine, a shrine rumored to hold the greatest treasures of the clan. It was all for nothing and he wanted to be fully done with the place. He left convinced the price was too high to pay for this win.

Let the others fight over the scraps.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N:** With No More winding down, it's time to honor another promise I made and finish this partially completed tale (the first half of the story was finished but I never completed NotB: Taming of the Savage Beast). I will combine and complete the story in this one telling.

As always, reviews feed the muse! _Ja ne!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Longest Night**

~ I I I ~

* * *

_Ten Years Six Months After the Fall of Uzushiogakure…_

_"OI! Oioioioioi!__OI__! Stop breakin' down the damned door!" Jiraiya, the Mighty Toad Sage, was not feeling very mighty at the moment. As he groaned his way up to a sitting position, head thumping all the way, one hand blindly reached out to grab and shake what he discovered to be an empty sake bottle. '__Damn it all to hell and back! Someone wants their skull caved in for this.'__ It was still dark in his hotel room but the sleeping bodies lying next to him wouldn't have budged if the soddin' hotel were ablaze._

_Everything from the neck up still hurt from last night's information gathering session but, if the shapely leg draped across his own was any indication, it was a highly successful endeavor. He cast a quick glance under the covers of the barely covered bottom on the other side and grinned at his own superiority._

_'Mortal men quake in my presence…'__ and, thinking it a clever little jibe, began looking for his trusty pad and pencil seeing a brilliant introduction in his near future._

_Then the impatient bastard trying to break down his hotel room door started trying to raise the dead again. To make matters worse, the heavy fog trying to squeeze his brain was winning and the white-haired legend was considering ripping off a limb or two to make the fool ruining his lay-in vanish into the Suna desert; he needed to finish up negotiations with that bastard Rasa today before shooting off to spy on Kumo. __'Oh, the beauties they have there…'__ A weary hand gripped the bridge of his nose as he considered the ramifications of Kumo or Iwa, as neither by themselves could do much after the Third Shinobi War, managed to drink enough booze to work out an agreement threatening Konoha's safety. That thought almost made the carpet lining his tongue palatable._

_A quick wince, a muttered prayer to whatever wine gods favored him for the day, and a grumbled wiggle out from under the exhausted tangle of flesh, and he was off at a stumbling shuffle. _

_Flinging the door open with an irate, __"WHAT?!"__ caused the knuckles barreling towards the formally closed door to freeze in place and hover._

_Or… maybe it was the fact that he was bare-assed naked and the confused kunoichi bearing his village's crest on her forehead was turning a brilliant shade of red while imitating a lion fish. Normally such a reaction would have been priceless but he was far from impressed – he thought the rules __spelled out clearly__ at the beginning of this mission, even for his village's ambassador to Sunagakure, had been pretty explicit._

_"Despite how comfortable I am in my skin, this had better be important. We __talked__ about this-," Jiraiya began in the exhausted voice he often used to berate detractors of his literary genius._

_He jerked to a fuzzy-brained halt once she slapped a scroll against his chest and bolted for the end of the hallway without a word._

_"Hnh, nice speed on that one," he gruffed out with a chuckle before closing the door to the outside world. That was better than arguing. Maybe he should use that tactic more often? Who knows, maybe he'll get lucky from time to time._

_With a light giggle, despite his pounding head, he staggered back to his crowded bed. __'Oh well, another three or four hours should hit the spot.'_

_Without thinking, he tossed the unopened scroll onto his pile of things in the sitting area and trudged back to his warm bed and the two unconscious piles of curves awaiting his return. He'd get dressed later and revisit the "Do Not Disturb Before Noon" policy with twitchy ambassador once more. __'Career bureaucrat, hmph!'__ If he was filling particularly generous, and he was after last night's escapades, he might treat her to round or two to smooth over the hurt from her naked encounter with the __Great Jiraiya__._

_He chuckled again even has he crawled across the bed to face-plant between the twins, his eyes growing heavy as they slid shut with a sigh. Too bad the third sister couldn't get off shift otherwise Triplets would have been __awesome!_

_What? It wasn't like Konoha was burning or anything. There wasn't anything that blond bastard of a student he loved like a son couldn't handle, the cheater._

~ I I I ~

* * *

_Meanwhile, back in Hi no Kuni…_

_Year 11 Day 283: Unlike so many days before I began this pilgrimage, today is a day worthy of note. As such, I shall endeavor to strike prose to passage as I document what precedes me._

_A few hours from the Hidden Village of Konohagakure no Sato I came across signs of her passage. All about me lay strewn the whirlwind of her rage, the earth at my feet embracing the great Youko's paw not more than one hundred yards from some nameless haven of humanity. As I look about me, straw and wood hovels lay smashed to so much kindling, the dead, bleeding, and wailing stagger about equally dazed or cling to a loved one now passed._

_Having little to no success in my travels, I am set to return to this village hidden amongst the leaves in search of a young maiden of crimson locks spied those short days after Uzushio fell. The few after images of her likeness found cast throughout the other lands held neither her spark nor furor and, to this revelation, I must again cling in the hopes that her bond with the Nine has deepened enough that I may perceive it._

_The great roars in the distance have ceased and it is with heavy heart that I hope my haste of these past eleven years have not dimmed my successful culmination of Matron's ambition._

_Praise be to Inari that I may be fortuitous at last._

_-Toru, The Silver Ghost_

~ I I I ~

* * *

_Four Years Later In the Great Tree Itself…_

Like tinkling bells and silver wind-chimes, the tiny child's laughter rang out in the late rainy morning. Her bare feet skipped along the cobblestones kicking up water from errant puddles. The rosy hue of her yukata sleeves flapped like soggy wings, the many imprinted butterflies and snapdragon flowers delicately embroidered on the delicate silk flickering with every twirl and hop. Golden thread sparkled just enough when the clouds parted to catch the eye. Her laughter trilled as her face scrunched up to the heavens, eyes closed in a squint as she blew raspberries to the angry clouds above. Her single bun had disintegrated through rough and tumble play, her honeyed skin covered in fresh rain and auburn hair plastered to her face through the morning showers.

Raising her tiny hands to the sky as if she could grab the clouds and wring them dry, the child spun in a circle calling for her brother to come and play. Hearing no response her laughter died as she stopped her dizzying spin, her flailing hair partially blocking her eyes.

"Nii-san!"

The girl spun quickly to look behind her, her eyes wide open, their crimson color fading to gold the closer you got to her oval-shaped irises. Her cherubic face broke out into a particularly feral grin, long canines piercing her lower lip causing blood to dribble down her chin, her voice dropping four octaves.

"**Come play with me, nii-san!"**

Then the world erupted into flame.

~ I I I ~

_At That Exact Moment, House of Hope Orphanage, Konohagakure no Sato…_

Somewhere in Konoha, a small child cried out in fear, his nightmare shocking him awake in the dank and dismal room filled with the smell of his own sweat and bodily wastes. Amethyst-blue eyes tried to pierce the darkness of his windowless cell while his frantic gasps tried to calm his furiously beating heart. There were noises outside his room, footsteps followed by angry voices stopping just outside the door, one of them familiar: The Orphanage Matron. He could hear keys jingling and then the lock started to make familiar clicking noises.

All too familiar.

Panic set in and the small boy scrabbled along the wall furthest from the door sounds frantically trying to make himself as small and nonthreatening as he could in the darkest corner he could find. It wasn't a difficult thing to do in a pitch-black room barely bigger than a closet.

Something threw the door open nearly ripping it from its frame and the flood of light nearly blinded him. His eyes always hurt with any light even when he wasn't kept in this room for... how many days had it been now?

He could vaguely hear the Matron pleading with someone, something about needing to discipline _the beast_. The child knew she was referring to him because she never called anyone else that bad word, not even the Koga brothers and they bullied everyone.

With a whimper, as he knew crying out would only get him beaten again, the boy curled up in a ball with his face as far into the corner crevice as he could push it, his arms flailing about trying to cover as many areas of his body and head as possible, the growing silence from the blurry figures by the door growing louder with each passing second. Everything was suddenly so loud right before the silence became deafening.

He must have called out in his bad dream and they gotta really be angry now.

To be honest, it didn't matter if he did or didn't cry out. They always blamed him… and they always beat him for it. He hated that spoon.

The quiet grew almost too much to bear and his heart was beating so hard it was echoing off the walls and thundering in his ears. He couldn't see movement with his face pressed into the small corner, but he could feel the heat from the person that had to be standing right behind him, their breath hot on the back of his neck. That chilling fear that started as panic was now full-fledged terror. He bit his lip to keep from crying out and reflexively jerked as his arms became desperate trying to ward off the blows he just _knew_ were coming soon. They always came but why were they taking so long this time?

They were so close now.

When gloved hands grabbed his arms, the shock became too much, and, with a final shriek of terror, he passed out.

Standing in the mangled doorway, Hiruzen observed everything that transpired and was incensed. Anger and killing intent began to freely flow causing the rotund matron standing behind him to cower on the other side of the hallway. At some point, she lost control of her bladder and sank to the floor babbling incoherently as the very air closed in on her. Somewhere in the back of her petrified brain, images of her own gruesome death began to flash before her eyes.

With a carefully restrained flick of his wrist, he sent Neko off to the hospital to get the boy looked at by a trusted friend. That done, he slowly turned to face Matron Nagara, the glare in his eyes promising long-lasting pain, until her growing dread turned her into a blubbering, whimpering mess.

"Find a replacement for the good Mother until Ibiki is finished with their upcoming conversation."

Two swooshes of shadowy air and the Hokage was alone in the hallway while his anger cooled, the stench of the now-empty larder wafting out into the hallway as his only company. He conveniently forgot to tell the pleading orphanage manager that her conversation with Ibiki would be the last conversation she would ever have.

~ I I I ~

At the same time that the House of Hope was undergoing a managerial shift, a hooded and heavily cloaked figure slipped from the shadows of an alley, his nondescript hood pulled low enough to shadow any recognizable features. Tall and lean of build, the gate was smooth and gender-neutral, no swaying or swaggering to betray form or function of the so inclined. The gate maintained an even tempo and ate up ground as the figure shuffled, dipped left through one alley, scaled a wall like a wraith before leaping back two rooftops to emerge from another alley headed in a completely random direction.

A half-hour of this peculiar behavior and the figure paused by a nondescript door. Above it lay a wooden sign depicting a single kunai blade, the bland colors on it weathered and faded through years of rain and relentless sun.

Standing there in the stoop, the figure waited in the flickering light of the doorway as if waiting for something or someone. Some unknown catalyst occurred, and the hooded phantom turned to enter the dilapidated establishment, nodding once to the barkeep before making an abrupt right just past the entry door and passing through another portal just past the restrooms.

It ignored the semi-conscious shinobi spattered about the drinking room and smirked at the jaunty _"A Hard Day's Night"_ playing from the ancient jukebox. Show tunes among shinobi? Who knew.

Once the "Employees Only" door closed behind it, the figure lifted a glowing hand to back-light the short hallway leading to another door not more than a half dozen meters away. Closing one gloved fist and extinguishing the _jutsu_, the figure lifted another to the aged wood.

_Knock…Knock-Knock…Knock._

The door opened silently on well-oiled hinges. Inside the room sat a circular table with four chairs, two of which had their potential occupants standing behind them. On the table sat a nondescript white bottle and four saucers, each one turned upside down in front of an empty seat.

The hooded figure entered and stood directly behind one of the chairs. After the soft "click" from the closing door echoed in the silent chamber, the masked and equally nondescript door opener moved to stand behind the only remaining seat.

The tension rose briefly as the four figures cautiously observed each other, the only light in the room centered over the small table and chair set. The sparse bulb was barely enough to show no sandaled feet lurking in the far corners.

As one, four gloved pairs of hands reached up slowly enough to pull back their hoods showing four ANBU-style masks.

The Monkey looked across to the newly joined Dragon and nodded. Tiger and Rooster nodded once he glanced their way. Again, and as one, all four raised their hands in the same foreign sign, the right fist closed and held chest high with the left palm opened in a knife-like fashion, the flat palm resting against the knuckles of the right fist. As one they lowered their hands and the tension lessened minutely.

"I hope there is a good reason for calling us here off-schedule," Tiger intoned, his voice almost growling in displeasure.

"They are moving up the timetable. Subject is being extracted as we speak." Dragon was neither anxious nor annoyed. He just was.

"What of our plans?"

"Nothing has changed for us, Rooster."

If not for their masks they would have been identical. That was the point of the identical _henge_ after all – anonymity.

"Do we know yet?" Monkey seemed…nervous.

"Not yet. We have narrowed it to a dozen primary. Anything less will take more time, years maybe."

"If nothing has changed for us then why call us here?" Tiger didn't move their feet but there was a… hitch in their shoulders, almost like a settling of their balance.

"We must adjust the plan for our subject's new environment." The other three tensed simultaneously.

"Which one?" was all that Rooster said.

"Echo."

At this Tiger did take a step back. "And you are absolutely sure of this?"

Dragon nodded only once in return.

"I wish that I were not." He glanced around at his three mystery guests. "We must be flawless in our execution."

"How is… the subject?" Three masks turned to Rooster, but Monkey answered.

"The subject is fairing as well as can be expected. Today they made contact with the _Rabbit_. An impression was made." His head tilted slightly as if remembering something.

"Favorable?"

Monkey nodded. "Very."

Tiger chuckled in response.

Rooster reached out and popped the cork on the bottle with a kunai, the sealing tag breaking as he flipped over his cup and poured a drink of the clear liquid. The other three flipped over their own saucers and repeated the process.

As one, four cups held before their faces in one hand with the other placed in front of the saucer in a similar flat palmed gesture, the four of them drained the vessels and placed them upside down on the table.

None of them removed their masks before drinking.

Nothing else needed to be said before four shadows vanished simultaneously from the room.

~ I I I ~

* * *

_Somewhere in Konoha, Six Years After Kyuubi (A.K.)…_

Stumbling, falling to his hands and knees… his palms scraped raw and bloody as he scrambled shakily to his feet yet again, the small figure tore through the back alleys in terror. He could hear his own heart pounding in his ears, drowning out the ragged sound of his breathing. This was becoming an all too familiar sensation the past few months, one that he hated. It was like this last year also.

Festivals were supposed to be good things but Konoha's only festival of the year always made things difficult. People seemed to get really angry before this one came around. It was something the now frantic six-year old did not understand.

His throat raw despite the cool night air, his voice had all but failed him during the last half hour while he tripped over garbage cans, dodged angry mobs by ducking under abandoned carts, and cowered in the shadows to the sound of angry and drunken voices. This by far was the most terrifying half-hour of his miserable six-year-old existence. In a flash of golden hair dirty from grime and caked with blood, he scrambled into a darkened corner and tried very hard not to move or make a sound, each breath coming out as a strained hiss through clenched teeth.

'**_Wait here, kit.'_** There she was again, his angel. She'd never lied to him before, so he hunkered down and waited.

"I lost him!" The small child flinched. More angry words and swearing followed.

He didn't recognize that voice, angry and frantic as it was, but the sound sparked a fresh round of terror causing the frightened child to instinctively press down and away from the light of the streets, sheer panic pressing down on every square inch of his body forcing him further into the grimy corner of the alley he was hiding in. He waited just like his angel asked him to. It felt like forever for the adrenaline-fueled fugitive, the moments ticking away in reverse as angry feet splashed through freezing puddles and slammed into the hard stone.

A small, raspy whine slipped through his clenched teeth before he could silence it with tiny hands pressed to his mouth, a pitiful sound crossed between a soul-shattering sob and whispered plea for help… any kind of help. Tiny fingers clamped down frantically crushing the whimper into a hiss of leaky air. He needed to be still but it was _soo hard!_ Maybe if they couldn't find him they would give up. Maybe they would go back to their drinking and leave him be.

Several pairs of legs landed on the ground not more than three meters from where he crouched. _'S'nobi!'_ his young mind screamed. Their backs were to him and he couldn't see higher than their waist, but he could tell that their upper bodies were being twisted side to side. They were searching for the small beast that got away. They were looking for him. People were talking to each other in hushed and angry tones, but he couldn't hear a word of it. All he could hear was his own heart screaming in his tiny ears.

Thump-thump…

How come they couldn't hear it? The pounding made his neck hurt.

Thump-Thump…

Couldn't they feel the terror coming off him in waves?

_THUMP-THUMP!_

Without warning, the legs ran off in the direction of other voices. Someone thought they found the beast and the hunt was back on again with a chorus of howls and jeers. After a few more shudders wreaked havoc on his small frame, Naruto Uzumaki released through clenched teeth the shaky breath he'd been holding then edged his way out of the shadows and away from the angry legs that called for his blood.

'**_Go quickly, Kit! We need to get back to our den!'_**

He was still hungry he just no longer cared. If he could get home, then he could look for food tomorrow. Tomorrow would be better. _'Tomorrow…'_ He chanted it mentally like a lucky charm. Teuchi-'jiisan would help him tomorrow. Teuchi-'jiisan never yelled or threw things at him.

Teuchi-'jiisan always helped.

The first few steps were hesitant and wobbly. A leg gave out in fear causing him to stumble and fall to the ground splashing muddy water all over himself and scraping away more skin in angry little patches. His head whipped around in terror as he froze. Did anyone hear him?

'_**Hurry, Kit!'**_

He lurched to his feet and pushed on to the end of the ally staying to the darker side. He could see the end now. There were fewer lights in the streets here, fewer people. His heart was racing again but this time in hope. He was very close now. So very close.

It was because he was so close that his face scrunched up into confusion and anger when his legs abandoned him again less than ten meters from the edge of the alley entrance and the ground rushed up to meet him with a dull thud.

He was vaguely aware of a sharp pain in his back below his right shoulder blade. The alley entryway spun as he fell, the street twisting in his vision so that he seemed to turn sideways, his head bouncing off the hard, stone ground. It was also getting harder to breathe almost like he was breathing through water. Funny that… _'I wonder why?' _he thought. _'Oh. It must have something to do with this big guy behind me and the shiny, sharp thing in his hand. It looks bloody too.'_

He was no stranger to blood. He'd seen enough of his own over the past two years.

The small child wanted to figure out why he couldn't run anymore but his attention flickered briefly over the shoulder of the sneering S'nobi standing over him to the two cloaked figures on the roof. They were wearing masks and he briefly wondered where he could get one like theirs. Did they find them at the festival? Maybe he could wear it to hide behind if he ran out of food next year. Maybe he could go to the festival like everyone else if he had a cloak and mask? His mind flickered back to the present when one of the two on the roof moved.

Why did it look like the smaller one was reaching out to him?

One of the masked people was angry and pushed the smaller one. There was a flash, some awesome smoke, and then they were gone.

He couldn't think about it any longer since the angry guy standing over him was yelling and waving to someone just off where he couldn't see. It didn't matter anyway because Naruto couldn't understand what he was saying. He sounded very happy all of a sudden and had a brief thought that it was good that this person could be happy during a festival that seemed to make everyone else so sad.

This thought popped into the small boy's mind just before his whole world erupted into pain. After an eternity of agony, a heavy sandal stomped on the back of his head and everything went completely black. He wondered no more, and his angel's voice seemed really, really far away.

~ I I I ~

Raion followed behind the Hokage, her lion-faced mask hiding the apprehension written clearly across their very human-looking face. The old man was standing atop the Hokage Tower watching nin streak across the night sky in search of the vessel. Raion felt they should have been out there with the others. Call this punishment for a job done all too well.

The lion-faced ANBU didn't even appreciate the deprecating humor of their mask. She'd never displayed demonstrable aggression (among the humans anyway) in the combative arts excelling instead in the administrative field. Her crude peerage found some humor in the mask jibe, so she sniffed, often, and let this to pass without so much as an acknowledgment.

Her disdainful attitude fit right in with the perky alter image. Absentmindedly her left hand reached up and adjusted the uncompromising wrappings around the smaller-than-average chest trying to get at the itch just beneath them. How human women suffered through the indignity was beyond her. She was thankful enough that she'd opted for a less robust figure for this new alter ego. A spy's life was difficult enough as it was.

Thank Inari-Kami for small favors.

Back to the old man standing above her with an orb in his hand… Hokage was peering very deeply in to it. Every so often he'd tap the tiny communicator hidden in his right ear and provided directions, most likely to Inu, as others closed in on his location. Was it enough? It had to be enough. Please be fast enough.

Raion really did not wish to explain to the Matron how she let Kyuubi-hime die at the hand of savages. That was a conversation that could only end one way and she'd be a thrice-cursed Inuzuka if it ended well in any way, shape, or fashion.

"Raion!" She snapped to attention, one fist to the roof next to a slender right knee.

"Hai! Hokage-sama." The lilting alto voice sounded oddly pleasant even through the mask.

"I have found him. Secure the boy until Inu arrives. Hurry!"

Pale blue eyes looked through slitted eyeholes and up into the glowing orb held low enough to peer into enabling her recognition of the alley junction as well as the shinobi stalking the boy from behind. The lion-faced ANBU leaped away so fast the Hokage thought it was a **[**_**Body Flicker**_**]** jutsu. She had to be fast enough.

Inari-Kami let her be fast enough today.

~ I I I ~

Something shook him, and the shock made his eyes fly open. Pain. Pain was all. Pain was breath, life, light. What was this feeling?... Flying? No…. floating. He couldn't understand why it was still dark with his eyes open. It didn't matter. They hurt so much it was easier to keep them closed. Why was it so cold? Oh, that's right. It was October, and October weather is always cool.

He had a birthday in October, didn't he?

_'Someone, please make the bees quiet down.'_ They sounded angry and the buzzing was starting to hurt his head. How did the bees know his name? Couldn't they tell he was tired? Soo…tired. Maybe if he closed his eyes for a little while… just for a lit-

Apparently, the bees didn't like that. They wanted him to keep his eyes open, but the flashes of light made it hard. His eyes were heavy, so very heavy especially the right one.

Were those bells he heard? Also, who would be giggling this late at night? Don't they realize people are trying to sleep? Grown'd ups got angry when people woke them up. He wanted to sleep to. He wanted to sleep so very much…

'**_Niiiiiiiiiiiiiii-chan!'_**

A cerulean blue orb shot open only to stare blankly into the cold mask of an Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (ANBU) agent streaking through the night. Hey, this ANBU had whiskers just like Naruto. That was kind of neat.

~ I I I ~

The dog-faced ANBU cursed softly. He was trying not to jostle the broken and bloody child cradled in his arms but that loose roof tile caught him by surprise and the child twitched from the pain. His ANBU-issued cloak was ruined, blood flowing from numerous stab wounds in the child's body, far more blood flowing than could possibly be in one this tiny.

He had no doubt that the child had few bones still intact. He could count the child's ribs even before the mob smashed them into odd angles. This little one did not have long left. Oh, how he wished he could kill them all. Vessel or not, no person deserved this. That it had been done to an innocent child made it all the more reprehensible.

It's a good thing the demon inside him clearly wanted to live because it was going to earn its keep tonight.

Rat and Mouse had some explaining to do but first, he needed to see to the child. Kami take pity on the resident ER doctor or nurse that refused to help the child for he would not.

It was a good thing that he was met at the entrance by a worry-faced doctor with a full team. Thank Kami that the Hokage had connections and knew good people.

~ I I I ~

_Year 17 Day 283: As I sit dumbfounded by the day's events, my hands clench and unclench of their own accord. Despite drowning them in sterile alcohol and scalding water, I can still see the stains._

_How has circumstance led to this? My failure is now complete, yet I cannot form the words to condemn my soul to my beloved Matron._

_How can humans be so... ignorant? So... cowardly? So cruel…_

_Chance thus fortuned that I should soar near the heavens, my own wax wings singed in the glory of my triumph. Blindly I searched for the crimson princess only to allow the crowned prince to slip through my clutches like fine wine before pagans. The vessel lays dying even as my tears stain this the transcript of my inadequacy._

_May Kami have mercy on my soul…for she will not._

_It is fortunate that a feminine face stares back at me for I could not bear to gaze on my own. Now my tears no longer seem so out of place._

_-Toru, The Silver Ghost_

~ I I I ~

Wherever he was it was dark, and the ground was wet. No, it was covered in water deep enough to hide his hands. He was thirsty, but the water kept turning red. Everywhere he went the water turned red. Eventually, he just stopped trying to get a drink and instead tried to figure out why his right eye wouldn't work. He was a smart boy for his age – he knew his right from his left.

He didn't know what that thumping sound was, but it was everywhere around him and it was loud, slow… but loud. Lifting his head up from where he was down on both hands and knees in the growing pool of red water, he could see dingy walls with large pipes on either side of a long hallway. It almost looked like the sewers he used sometimes to hide in from the angry people only it didn't smell as bad. The water at least didn't smell as bad.

Truth was that sewers sucked no matter where you were but here the water was kind of salty.

He looked up again. The pipes to his left briefly glowed with a nice blue light every time that thumping sound came. The pipes on the right glowed an orangey-red color and both sets glowed together. The red pipe seemed to be a lot brighter right now. It was almost comforting.

Since he didn't know where he was and still needed help, he rose tiredly to his feet to begin staggering along the dark hallway, or at least he tried to. He was having a really hard time standing up at the moment. He figured he'd just follow the pipes not caring that there were torches lighting up as he moved along the tunnel. It just helped him to see better with his one good eye; the right one didn't seem to work right now.

He could hear the tinkling of a small bell off in the darkness. It sounded familiar…

He lost track of the number of times he fell. Everything hurt bad and it was hard to breathe. He thought it odd that his hands didn't want to work right and his legs kept falling out from underneath him. Eventually, he just pulled himself along and half crawled along the tunnel. He stopped moving only when his head hit something hard and metal.

"**Oh, my! They hurt you pretty badly."**

For several moments, the boy just lay there in the water not moving, his forehead pressed against the cool metal. The bells tinkled again as someone approached him on the other side of whatever metal thing he bumped his head on. Then he slowly looked up and blinked his one good eye to clear out the blood.

In front of his face was a thick block of metal with lots of writing in it. The writing and pictures were very thin and covered every square inch but, since he couldn't read, it was just pretty to look at. When he tried to look up he couldn't see the end of the bar, but this wasn't the only block of metal. There were many others on either side of this one. It sort of looked like the metal gate at the front of the Hyūga mansion only the bars were thicker and golden-brown in color. There was a sharp gasp of air just passed the bars so that brought his attention from the very large gate to the pretty face peeking at him through the gap in the fence. In his daze of pain, he found her very pretty and he felt bad that she had to see him the way he was.

Her mouth was open with a sleeve of her Yukata covering the lower half of her face, the silken cloth a mix between a soft pink and a very light purple color. The butterflies on the fabric were golden like the coins in the greedy merchant's shop with all the jewels.

She lowered her sleeve to speak again and he could see a collar around her neck made in black material (he didn't know it was silk), covered in silver symbols with a shiny golden bell just below her chin. Her eyes were wide in fear and sadness, a single tear sliding down the side of her face.

"**You look very hurt. I can help you if you like?"**

Her eyes flicked to the trail of blood slowly spreading out into the water covering the floor and away from his broken body, her golden-red eyes with the black slits held tears that started racing down her pretty cheeks. Her skin was the color of honey and looked very soft.

She reached out with one-sleeved hand and he instinctively flinched, leaning away and to the side. His reaction made her cringe, her sad face scrunching up as more tears welled up into her very large eyes. He thought she had very pretty eyes.

"**No, no… I won't hurt you. We are one and the same."**

Naruto had never had anyone say that to him before. Heck, he didn't have the first clue what that even meant but it sounded nice. She sounded nice.

Except for three people in his short life, no one cared, as far as he knew, whether he lived, ate, or breathed. Trust, as a result, did not come easy for the orphan, but he could tell he was dying. His normally hot-running body was starting to get very cold, the room was getting darker, he was getting weaker, and he was wet and miserable. What else did he have to lose at this point? It's not like he could outrun her if she could squeeze through the bars.

Slowly, very slowly, his body righted itself and, as his tired eye started to close, he leaned forward enough to touch his forehead to her tiny hand hovering between the gate.

The little girl's response was a shuddering sigh that turned into a happy giggle. With his remaining eye closed, Naruto could not see the red chakra oozing from her sleeve as it coated his body.

He could not see the many pulsing symbols along the walls and bars of this girl's cage surge to life.

He could neither see nor feel his body rising from the water nor feel her soft hand caressing his cheek as her chakra deadened his receptors.

He couldn't even feel the tender kiss she gave him through the bars nor hear her soft words as she began to shut down various senses and unnecessary functions prior to starting the repairs to his wrecked body.

She spoke to him nonetheless.

"**Humans think they know but they are unseeing, unknowing children scrabbling about in the darkness."**

He could not see the statue rising from one corner of the room on her side of the bars, the figure on the pedestal looking very much like a certain blonde-haired jinchuuriki with thick manacles wrapped around its neck, waist, and wrists – wrists which were further shackled together like a prisoner.

"**They cannot see the light of their salvation and have spurned what is good and just… and they call me monster."**

On the walls of her cage, larger seals began to appear in rows with smaller seals near the bottom, and within her short reach, while more and more seals appeared above each row growing in complexity.

"**If we cannot make them see the truth, then we will thrive without them and make them choke on their foolishness and fear."**

She reached up to one of the seals placing the flat of her palm across the center of it. There was a burst of blue-white flame that engulfed her hand and the seal flared violently for a second before its crimson color flashed to a dull and burnt black. Only once it was completely charred did she lower her hand and look to the boy floating in a cocoon of her chakra.

"**This will help for now but soon they will see. They will all see."** She went back to the bars and reached out to the unconscious boy with concern etched across her entire face.

"**I promised when that one-eyed bastard lost his control over me that I would help you. I promised that I would make good on the pain I've caused you, to your family."**

She lifted her hand and the boy's body rotated so that he hung upright and freely in the air.

"**I cannot embrace you as I would like, not yet anyway, but I can help you now that we are properly linked."**

Several circles three feet in diameter appeared on the wall beneath the seals in her cage, each with an oval pupil slashing vertically from top to bottom. She placed her palm in the middle of one and her chakra once again flared to life as flames flowed from the center slit to the outer rim like fire chasing oil, the tendrils connecting to complete the eye's form. When the flames died, she lowered her hand and was rewarded with a colorless circle minus the eye slit. She grunted in disappointment.

"**This will never do."**

She pushed another tendril of chakra through the dark sphere and an image appeared as if a human eye flickered open. She could see into a sterile hospital room while a nurse puttered around changing out bandage supplies, the sound of paper rustling and medical tools clanking on a sterile table transmitted nicely through the circle. Otherwise, the room was empty. Seeing no need to observe the poor creature any longer, she broke the connection with a wave of her hand and turned back to her floating model, her smile seemed ravenous at this point.

"**Well that worked nicely."**

~ I I I ~

Nurse Tamako froze when a chill shot down her spine. She didn't know why but she was compelled to turn around, her heart racing in her own ears to see… nothing.

There were no windows in the room, the only light coming from the bright overheads. A bed, a nightstand, and the beeping monitor were the only man-made items in the room. With a quick check in the private bathroom, she turned to check over the lone occupant one last time. The child was breathing steadily, his one visible eye closed and the other wrapped heavily in bandages.

It was silly to assume that the child would be conscious given the Herculean effort needed to save his life. They'd only moved him from ICU to here just that morning. It was silly to even consider, right? He was just a boy after all.

With a soft grunt at her own paranoia, she clicked off the lights and left the room for her break.

~ I I I ~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes**

* * *

Greetings to returning (and new) fans of this fanfic! As previously stated, Nature of the Savage Beast will be a compilation of the original _Nature of the Beast_ and its sequel, _Nature of the Beast: Taming of the Savage Beast_. To that end, I will be including this section at the end of _most_ chapters to kind of fill in the blanks intentionally left in the first version of the story.

Some of you asked me, "Why did you remove the original?" The answer to that was several-fold.

One, it was a very rough piece of work, as to be expected as my first attempt at any sort of writing. If you've read _No More_, you know I've said before that I'm not a writer, not even one attempting to be published. I write as a relaxing hobby from work and a brief escape from life. I enjoy it, therefore, I do it. However, as a first attempt, there was a lot wrong with _Nature of the Beast_.

Admittedly, it was too dark. Rereading the final piece even I can say it was but that's okay. That's why we write – so that we can learn, improve, and get better at it. I must forewarn returning readers that some of the more controversial sections will be adjusted. In the end, I feel that they will flow better with the timbre of the story and the true nature of the main character.

This opening scene, cliché though many of you will say that it is, must stay. It remains vital to the character's development based on my Kyūbi Kitsune (yes, another cliché story tool, get over it) and her motivation for helping her "Kit." It also ties heavily into some of the story developments near the end of the original _Beast_ fanfic, which I will be able to explain in fuller detail with this version.

Believe it or not, the story timeline – and the character adaptations that come with it – were planned at the outset and you'll see why as we move along.

Finally (for this opening note), some of the sections I meant to use as flashbacks or fillers in _Taming_ will be used to fill out story sections or **Behind the Scenes** notes as we move along; if something doesn't make sense, check there first. This should make understanding the whole story easier without people having to continuously go back and read two different fanfics just to remember what happened before.

As always, thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy _Nature of the Savage Beast_. Questions and reviews are always welcomed.

_~Siva'a_


	3. Chapter 3

**AQN (A Quick Note):** As a general rule of thumb, "Guest Reviews" make it difficult to answer you with a PM and I do not often answer them in my stories. Sometimes the question is a really good one that deserves comment. More often than not, they lead to spoilers and I prefer, when I do answer them, to answer you directly.

So, I ask that you pose questions from an actual account, if possible. My stories, and _Nature_ is no exception, have layers to them and a problem in the chapter you're reading now may not get answered for several chapters later – _it will get answered though_. If you have a burning question that you really want an answer to, a PM response from me is truly the best chance you'll have of finding that answer without me spoiling the plot for everyone else.

~Siva'a

~I I I~

* * *

Legend Moving Forward:

"Speech"

'_Thought/ __**Communicating mentally with a Bijū'**_

"**Normal Bijū Speech"**

[Shinobi Sign Language]

[_Jutsu!_]

* * *

**Chapter 3: Of Mice and Dogs**

~I I I~

* * *

The young ANBU captain appeared on the roof adjacent to the dried pool of blood in the alleyway below. He was twenty feet above the ground and it still appeared far too large to have come from that tiny body. Below he could see the shinobi police force, their trademark blue jackets with the red and white paddle emblazoned on the back, scurrying around the crime scene pretending to be interested in police procedure.

Inu was not fooled.

Half of them were standing dead center in the bloody earth diligently eradicating any valuable evidence left in the crime scene. The somber dog-faced nin "tsked" audibly in disgust. Without turning away from the disgusting display of bias, he pulled the string hovering in his shadow.

"Report."

Two ANBU, one with purple hair braided to the small of her back and a cat's mask and the other with spiky brown hair and boar tusks, stepped forward. The cat spoke first in lilting feminine tones, her edged voice crisp with her frustration, like a blade being drawn from the scabbard.

"Apparently, the child hunkered down in preparation for the festival. His apartment showed signs of being barricaded from the inside, at least to the best abilities of a small child. A six-year-old could not have anticipated two drunken shinobi breaking into his apartment three days prior to and trashing the place nor the unidentified intruders that broke in tonight and flushed him out a second time. An open window in his bedroom suggests he escaped through there.

"The suspects destroyed what little food he could gather – did you know he is charged four to five times the going rate for rotten food and boxed ramen?"

Her disgust and annoyance were evident, but she was not expecting a response. Her eyes swung down to the crowd below them long enough to scowl at everyone making a mockery of efficient investigative work while she continued her verbal.

"They opened all of his ramen containers and urinated in the cups. The rest of his meager belongings were strewn about his apartment or broken beyond salvage.

"To make matters worse, none of the vendors would sell him more food for the week sighting…" she paused to review her notes, "'limited supply due to festival sales.' With the trap set, we estimate the child went the last two to three days before the festival holed up in his dump of an apartment without anything to eat. These bastards knew he would eventually have to sneak out to find something to eat and they stalked him from his apartment to the market then set upon him almost immediately."

Neko was known for her dispassionate almost methodical analysis but here she sounded… furious. Inu could swear he heard her growl. Were domestic cats capable of that?

"No assumptions or conjecture here, Neko-chan. You are sure they stalked him?"

The feline ANBU held up a glossy bag sealed and labeled "Exhibit #5," its glossy environs containing several expired cigarette butts.

"These were collected on one of the neighboring roof tops adjacent to the victim's apartment complex, which is convenient since his apartment building and the ones surrounding it are all empty and have been since he moved in a year ago. Additionally, we found standard issue protein bars and meal supplements, several of the partially consumed pieces with trace DNA. Samples were sent for analysis to T&I: Intelligence Forensic Subdivision for confirmation and a match to our suspects."

Now _that_ sounded like the Neko he knew.

All three figures shuddered briefly. Despite being hardened shinobi all of them were intimately familiar with Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Division. In fact, Inu would be headed there once he wrapped up his findings on-site.

"Anything else?"

Boar took over from there. "As you can see, the Uchiha and civilian police force are diligently deleting any usable evidence we could use to corroborate eye-witness accounts, not that Konoha's honorable populace would have offered any." The group frowned almost in sync at the obvious bias against the container.

"We managed to secure about half of the images we needed for our database before the circus arrived and began impeding our efforts." His ensuing snort was filled with derision. "Even managed to get an L-Square on a couple of 'em."

The dog nin clucked his teeth loudly while glancing down into the alley as Boar rattled off the rest. An L-Square was a measuring tool, a ruler with a ninety-degree bend for measuring prints and other objects. Ibiki once called it by its old name, some kind of visual scale if memory served. It was old, old technology resurrected from a time pre-dating the Warring Clans Era but it had its uses. Not a silver shuriken by any stretch of the imagination but it could help build a web of evidence to catch a shoddy criminal. His lone eye hovered over the one civilian suspect below and narrowed.

Too bad most shinobi were trained to get around such tactics.

"There were five people primarily involved in the attack with over a dozen observers-slash-supporters cheering them on at the time. _Amazing_ how there were no corroborating eye witness testimonies from any of them to provide a coherent picture of what actually happened." That last part was spoken almost to himself but both Inu and Neko caught the dripping sarcasm all the same. "They all contradict what viable evidence left at the scene suggests and all of them claim the child attacked the mob single-handedly while unarmed. Some claim he spouted several heads and large demonic wings with clawed hands at the wingtips. Others say he grew enormous fangs and tried to drink their blood."

"Is there any proof to substantiate their counter claim?" the elite asked despite the unbelieving tone of his voice. He needed to follow protocol just in case.

"There were no wounds on any of the victims, unless you count mud as a lethal weapon. Some of the child's injuries suggest he was defensive for the first part of it but our guy found no shreds of skin beneath his fingernails to indicate he'd tried to fight off his attackers, no torn cloth in his hands or mouth." There was no need to elaborate on who "their guy" was; ANBU had a specialist trained to work in time-delicate situations where a victim's life was on the line and evidentiary perishability was an issue.

Inu snarled in disgust. "Send the liars to Ibiki. Fill his cells." Boar nodded glad that his mask hid the wince in his eyes.

"Therein lies the first major problem. Primary suspects include one civilian and four shinobi with _significant_ clan ties. We have a Yamanaka, a Inuzuka, a Hyuuga and a Uchiha, all lesser clan members without 'heir status' but clan members nonetheless."

Inu whistled sharply while looking down again at the five figures kneeling in the dirty alley with their hands in restraints. Was that police officer congratulating them on a job well-done? He knew the pain all of this would cause his investigation. Then an odd thought struck him as he looked at the sun peaking over the horizon.

"Why haven't they been taken to Ibiki yet?"

Boar merely pointed to the platoon of clan lawyers arguing sharply with the lead security force representative, the fool's placating gestures doing little to ease their concerns. Inu fought the urge to urinate over the roof ledge and onto the disgusting cesspool of humanity beneath them.

"We need to move quickly on those four shinobi. Insure they make it from here to T&I before the Council can intervene. If they make it back to their respective clans, we'll never get our hands on them again."

'_Patience Kakashi,_ _patience_.' "And what of our assigned escorts?" Time was slipping away and he didn't have the full picture before his initial report was due to the Hokage. Despite his recent lackadaisical attitude towards punctuality, he would _not_ be late this time.

Here Boar sighed heavily. "Rat and Mouse had the guard. Rat claims that they lost visual on the child during the chase and were too late to prevent what occurred."

Inu raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "Their stories match?"

Boar shook his head in the negative.

"Send them both as a gift to Ibiki as well. It seems I owe that man more than a few drinks after this." Boar, a senior ANBU operative, actually flinched at the comment (internally he wondered how Inu could see his answer looking in the opposite direction) but responded as a professional.

"Hai! Nezumi will be sent without delay. We are having… _trouble_… locating Rat."

If there was any doubt left in Inu's mind, that statement crushed it. Hokage-sama would not be happy about this whole mess but he would be even less happy about letting the rat bastard get away. He changed the channel on his radio and clicked his mic twice…

After his short burst of traffic, the already agitated dog nin turned to two of his most trusted ANBU.

"Wrap up here and draft the written report. I want it in my hands within the next two hours. I need to arrange for a guard rotation for the hospital room first." Inu turned his head just enough to observe the late arrival, his eyebrow raised imperceptibly behind his ANBU mask.

"Yes, Toki?" For the gangly ANBU to come to him directly meant the news was important. Inu just hoped it was positive as the morning had been full of nothing but crap thus far.

"ANBU guarding emergency access point India have apprehended Rat." Inu almost smiled at his early choice to turn over the handling of standard comms traffic to the efficient nin while he ran this down. "He was trying to sneak out of Konoha with his filthy tail between his legs under forged mission orders. It appears your notice went out over our emergency comms just in time."

"How so?" Boar asked, the curiosity for a good story edging through his mask.

They could almost see the ANBU's smirk under his mask when he responded with, "He was waiting for _KR_ clearance when you piped in." Toki scoffed loudly. "He was surrounded by killers with nowhere to run," he chuckled as two of his audience vanished in swirls of angry wind and leaves.

Inu growled underneath his mask as he sped off to T&I to meet its newest guest, the cat-faced ANBU hot on his tail.

Buildings flew by in a blur as they crossed northwesterly across the large village, most of it still asleep. Light was just beginning to glare from tightly closed windows as they sped by. Below in the busy Market District, shutters were being flung open, stoops were being swept clean, and rugs were being beaten fresh in preparation for the daily glut of traffic yet to come. In the back of Inu's mind, in that tiny pessimistic part of his brain that saw the worst in people, he began to dissect the average Konohan, those simple folk that claimed to embrace the Will of Fire and yet would cheer on the monsters that would murder in cold blood a defenseless child.

Vessel to the mightiest demon to ever walk the earth, true, however, it was an innocent child all the same.

He knew from many discussions with the Sandaime that the creature was most likely slumbering deep within the seal located on the boy's stomach but what if the vicious attack had awakened it? What if they'd damaged the seal enough that the monster could escape and, once again, set fire to Konoha in order to finish what it started six years ago? How poetic would that be?

Idiots, the entire lot of them. You could try to justify their ignorance-through-fear all you wanted but the jaded Captain knew to expect continued horrors from the lowest elements of the village so long as the boy was kept helpless. ANBU couldn't be everywhere and there weren't enough able bodies willing to help the isolated orphan indefinitely; ANBU were never meant to be babysitters.

Sooner or later, if the child survived tonight that is, he would need to learn how to defend himself. This would be vitally important once he grew, as all children eventually did, and folks could no longer look past the cute exterior and began seeing him as the threat that he _could_ be.

Cubs grew into wolves at some point and wolves fought back when cornered. A demonic powered wolf?

The last Hatake shook off the sudden shiver rattling his spine as they settled onto the winding stairwell leading them up to the observation lookout located halfway up Hokage Monument. Without skipping a beat, the tattoos on their shoulders pulsed clearing the Genjutsu preventing the uninitiated from finding one of several controlled entrances to his home away from home. Not two seconds later, he was clearing the challenge from the two visible ANBU sentries, his head giving a discrete nod to the additional four waiting in the shadows, before continuing on from the kill room – the _KR_, into the hallway beyond, then down the pathway to the right leading to the holding pens below.

A "Kill Room" was a chokepoint, a vital access space to highly sensitive buildings or bunkers where the person entering was put at a severe disadvantage. Those spaces were normally heavily-reinforced, the walls often sealed to resist high-grade demolitions in addition to being reinforced concrete meters thick. There was always a narrow passage leading in followed by a narrow passage leading out – to restrict flow and bog down infiltrators while defenders either detonated staged defenses (usually more explosive notes or paralyzing seals) or launched violence on the attackers through murder holes cut into the walls. They were a helpful holdover from the Third War imported from Iwa back to the Land of Fire, a lesson Konoha paid terribly for in Leaf blood.

Inu shook his thoughts free once they were beyond the brightly lit chamber. The dark gave him time to think, to center himself. What he would be required to do in the next few minutes would make him want to vomit despite the hardened past of the war veteran; breaking a comrade always left a vile taste in his throat.

They were deep now, the warmer air of the upper levels giving way to cooler airstreams of the lower security brig level. One by one, they posted on the far side of a large pane of seal reinforced safety glass to clear what most considered the first level of security; Inu knew it was actually the fourth and final chance for infiltrators to turn away. Beyond here, security only grew worse and often ended in death for the unskilled.

Once through the vault-like door, they shot down through the next three stairwells into a square chamber void of furniture or decoration. Without pause, Neko followed him to the center of the room where floodlights revealed on the floor a circular pattern of sealing work three meters in diameter.

Inu placed his sandals firmly in the center.

"Challenge," a booming voice echoed over speakers hidden in the ceiling.

"Inu-Zero-Two-Zero-Seven, active, access four-four-seven-niner-eight-two-DELTA." Neko noticed that the script surrounding the Taichou on all sides was gaining a dull red glow, a dull glow transitioning to a much brighter one as he rifled off his registered access code.

For several agonizing seconds, nothing happened before the glowing light flashed green once then faded. Only then did Inu step from the circle and patiently wait while Neko repeated the process. Once the circled flashed green again, both operatives glances upward and waited.

"Query?" came the same monotonous drone.

"Prisoner, Rat-One-Zero-Zero-Niner."

"Authorized." An angry buzzer sounded in conjunction with a flashing red light above one of three doors on the wall to the left side of the room. Both surged through knowing that the door would be accessible so long as the buzzer sounded and not a second longer. To miss it, was to repeat the same challenge-answer process with the added benefit of ANBU analyzer (backed by an ANBU Black Kill Squad) dissecting every nervous tick and muscle response looking for infiltrators. To be honest, five seconds wasn't very long to clear the room so you could not afford to dawdle.

Beyond that large vetting chamber, the hallways radiated outward like a concrete reinforced spider's web, the subterranean threads filled with chamber after chamber of shinobi deviants. This section of the compound always made Inu twitchy; he'd spent a few months here after she died, the memory of it making his right hand flicker and clench. It was protocol really in friendly fire cases until the accused could be cleared but being down here still brought back memories he'd rather forget, if he could. He'd need to visit them again soon and let them know how things were progressing.

He forced himself to break away from that memory and focused forward where his feet were silently taking him and his Neko-shadow.

Each hallway beyond the "spoke" had the sterile quality of a mental ward. It was also lined along both sides with reinforced concrete walls embracing more seal-reinforced glass, the panels solid and unbroken. Inu knew that each cell had air holes, not vents, in the overhead to provide air and prevent escape, which wasn't a worry since each cell both restricted and disrupted chakra use on three levels he was aware of and at least two too complicated for him to rationalize. Given the audience these rooms catered to, it was a sound precaution, not overkill.

Besides, if worse came to worse and someone actually posed a valid escape risk, those air holes stopped providing charcoal-filtered sustenance and started churning out nasty derivatives of Sarin gas flooding the targeted cell, if necessary.

Inu paused for ten seconds to peek into the holding cell housing a young woman sitting placidly on the starched bed of her cell. The base was made of the same unyielding stone with a thin bedroll laid across it. There was no space beneath the slab holding her "bed," the space between the top and the floor consisting of a solid slab of the material the walls were made of. A sterile metal toilet seat sat to one side of the room next to a sink of identical construction and in the middle of the room sat a circular metal table with two stools. Nothing had sharp corners, not even the edges of the table and sink, and the air holes in the roof were easily ten meters straight up.

In that brief inspection, his eyes focused on the broken posture of the woman wearing plain white prison clothes matching her prison-style bedroll, the billowy shirt thin and most likely uncomfortable. The trousers were equally thin and non-complementary to her small yet ANBU-trained body. As the temperature was carefully modulated to a crisp twenty-two-point-two degree Celsius setting, nothing needed to be overly cumbersome and that prevented opportunities to store weapons and other tools. Worse still, as female prisoners were not afforded metal laced undergarments or wraps, as the metal clips that kept them closed could be used for other purposes, their conditions kept such prisoners in a constant state of discomfort and vulnerability meant to, as Ibiki always boasted, keep them "pliable" for later conversations.

He needn't fear that she would recognize him. Those same chakra inhibitors prevented sensors from reading anyone right outside their cells. The planes of glass keeping her cell wide open to people allowed access to this part of the pens, as they were affectionately called, were tinted with just enough silver nitrate that people inside couldn't make out shapes in the darkened hallway. Just to be safe though, Ibiki spared no expense and limited the blindingly bright light in her cell to the floodlights mounted above her glass prison and turned so that they shone in her face the entire time her room was lit up. If they weren't dimmed during the authorized period of sleep, he doubted she would ever get any rest. Knowing approved shinobi sleep deprivation tactics, Inu surmised that may have been the original intent but it wasn't like Mouse would have noticed given her current state.

This tiny woman sitting on her horrible prison bed seemed lost to it all, her shoulders slumped, her hands resting listlessly in her lap, and her face sunken as it was. They hadn't begun the official questioning but he could already tell – she'd withhold nothing once whoever Ibiki sent finally arrived, which should be soon if he missed his guess.

Snapping his eyes away from the mousy brunette, Inu stepped quickly from the well-lit cell to his intended target two more doors down and scowled beneath his mask at the pacing figure presented by ANBU Rat. _Former_ he had to remind himself. He also couldn't help thinking that the hunchbacked nin had earned his moniker as he watched the condemned man pace back and forth in his cell. Bulbous nose and eyes, flared ears, recessive chin, greasy hair plastered in a stringy crown to his head… the man personified his ANBU avatar in more ways than one; Rat harbored in that rodent-like noggin a keen nose and sharp mind.

Inu pushed the call button on the small grey box melded into the glass window and waited while the nervous fellow in the overly bright cell paused his frenzied pacing to glare, with one hand bridged over his eyes, to the large viewing pane. Knowing that Rat would only be able to see shadows on his side of the tinted, semi-one way glass, he felt fairly confident that the voice distortion of the speaker box would make him mostly unrecognizable to the prisoner within.

"Oshiro Ken'ichi," Inu blared through the mechanical voice box taking no pleasure in the involuntary flinch of his former peer. The Oshiro family was not a clan but both sons were known for their service to the flame. The elder boy, Kazu, was part of the engineering division, a broad-backed ANBU with a gifted mind for puzzle-solving while Ken'ichi, well… Ken'ichi was Ken'ichi. Inu knew that calling him by his given name would drive home the crucial point of, _"You are no longer one of us; you are one of them now, the ones you despised and belittled as you once locked them away. You are no longer special."_

Young Ken'ichi once made his family proud when he got the nod to join the ANBU. He was defying his fate and living up to the name his proud family had given him.

Oh, the blow his arrest would be to them.

"You have two minutes to tell me the truth. I would not waste this one chance you're being given."

Inside, the former Rat stiffened, his usual sign of distress, as he launched into a stuttering tale of being called off-station to quell a small disturbance at the festival, of how he'd only been gone for twenty minutes. Hands pressed to the glass he couldn't see through, he pleaded his innocence and begged the mystery voice to "Just ask Mouse! She'd be able to confirm everything he was saying!"

Inu called his bluff and depressed the button again. "There were sufficient police force and ANBU patrols on duty near the festival to handle disturbances. You knew your assignment."

He watched the frail man collapse on himself even as his mind frantically tried to work out an escape, a predictable habit. Rat's normal collapse under pressure did not disappoint.

"T-T-They called… needed backup… child was safe with Mouse…"

Inu let him ramble on until a pair of "handlers," the heavy combat ANBU that rotated prisoner duty as they relocated subjects from their cells to handily adjacent interrogation chambers, came in to hoist him away. When one clamped onto the smaller man's arms while the other slapped a seal transfer strip to Rat- _Ken'ichi's _forehead, Inu merely shook his head at the struggling creature screaming his innocence at the top of his lungs. Anko would get the truth from him eventually but the terrorized man didn't need to know just yet that Mouse had given him up without a struggle.

"Time is up, Ken," the somber nin muttered to no one in particular. Kakashi knew it was a long shot but the truth would come out quickly under Anko's gentle ministrations. At this point it was just a fact-finding exercise to corroborate the story provided.

Long after Rat's cries disappeared down the blackened hallway, Inu turned on a heel and departed to find the nearest nin bar so he could work on his initial report.

Neko moved on to watch the interrogation of a man she'd wanted to gut years before – she never liked Rat all that much.

~I I I~

_Konoha General, Four Days Later, Konohagakure no Sato…_

Dawn was breaking. Kakashi glanced quickly out of the window to his left just long enough to see the growing light reflect off a mirrored building next to the hospital courtyard before snatching his eyes back to the imperious figure standing in front of the same window overlooking the western half of the village. He left the bar, as he'd done several nights in a row now, unable to sleep and found himself in the very spot he now stood listening to the good doctor explain what Konoha's upstanding citizenry accomplished several nights ago. To say the atmosphere was… tense… would be a gross understatement.

When the good doctor opened up with, _"We should have lost the child if not for his tenant,"_ well that just sent the mood right down the crapper, didn't it?

At that point, everyone in the room sighed internally because the doctor's honest statement meant that the creature was awake but hadn't escaped for whatever reason. They'd give thanks to Yondaime's unfathomable skill in _Fūinjutsu_ later. For now, they were simply grateful that Konoha wasn't a smoking crater. That still left them with the aftermath of such a horrific attack on the unconscious child in the bed before them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, tried not to shake as he listened to the very nervous doctor next to him reading off the list of injuries suffered by a six-year-old boy in his village. A six-year old boy he loved very much.

Included were stab wounds to both vital and non-vital areas that should have out right slain the child; the fact that he had not died could only be attested to the Kyuubi's overwhelming need for self-preservation combined with its restriction. Inu the detached ANBU elite, along with his Hokage, could simply not fathom any other reason for the creature's assistance. For once, the old man was grateful to the creature of nightmares. However, there were limits to how beneficent the demon could be as a tenant, something Hiruzen noticed in the worried eyes of his old friend.

Doctor Katsuo Yamakishi had serviced the Sarutobi clan for over four decades. Though he considered himself close to the Hokage, he never took that relationship for granted. Having been asked from the moment of the child's birth to be the sole medical representative to care for the orphaned Uzumaki, he had taken that responsibility to heart without reservation and what he saw now, despite the years of documented mental, emotional, and physical abuse, sickened him to no end. As he gave his oral synopsis, Yamakishi-san tried to clear his throat yet again to buffer out his own fear, rage and frustration in order to give a clear and unbiased assessment of the child's overall health.

The good doctor first noted that he had been present when the still bloody ANBU arrived carrying the broken body. In a very professional tone, he quickly summarized the young Captain's initial medical assessment on the patient's level of consciousness, airway breathing and circulation noting the inability to confirm spinal stabilization due to the egregious rate of blood loss – they had to take risks and stop the bleeding and clear the fluid from his airways first. Citing fear of imminent cardio pulmonary failure, the Captain had opted for speed in order to reach advanced life support services hoping that medic nins could reverse any damage due to the subsequent trauma of transport. In Doctor Yamakishi's eyes, it was a necessary risk that saved the boy's life.

The heavy sigh escaping the immobile ANBU officer in the corner was not amiss.

From there, Yamakishi-san took personal charge of medical operations to repair and sustain the child's quality of life. As the patient was unconscious and unresponsive, the doctor immediately transitioned into a Rapid Medical Assessment, establishing the patient's baseline vitals and trying desperately to identify any existing or potentially life-threatening conditions so they could focus on those medical emergencies first. It was during this phase of his report that the Hokage's anger flared, his ki lowering the room temperature drastically. There were just too many injuries and, despite the Kyuubi's parallel efforts to save the boy, there were just too many leaks to plug, rips to heal, arteries to mend, and organs to replace and or save. As it was, a team of four medic nins were working with five apprentices to keep the damage stable while the demon's chakra healed the most serious damage.

The small medical staff was amazed at what they were seeing transpire at the soft-tissue level but there just weren't any other medical personnel cleared or trusted enough to be in the room, so they were trying frantically to commit to memory the demon's work in saving a child that should have died hours before. It was frustrating, in more ways than one, as they were unable to record any of it for later research to later study and build upon this miraculous healing phenomenon, and the boy was healing at an unprecedented rate. So much was happening at the cellular level using chakra and they couldn't take the time to study it due to lack of helping hands.

The fact that less than ten trustworthy medical staffers existed in a hospital staff of hundreds was not lost on the Third Hokage. It was a fact he would remember well.

Most of the critical structural injuries had healed or mostly healed while the boy was in transit with the demon's energy, or youki. The Kyuubi no Kitsune fought furiously to stem the leaking of life-giving blood from vital organs while generating enough new blood to keep oxygen flowing to the child's brain preventing trauma and atrophy.

The medic nins could literally see the blood and pulsing red chakra flow, could see the soft tissue knitting itself back together. This accounted for the gallons of blood found at the scene of the crime and staining a young ANBU Captain from neck to sandals. Unfortunately, repeated jostling of the child during rapid transport to the hospital continually sent waves of pain due to the enormous number of broken and fractured bones, the repeated shocks risking paralysis or worse. Then there was the downside to the youki's rapid healing affects that made the Hokage grimace in sympathetic pain.

Medic nins were going to have to re-break and reset every broken bone in the child's body to fully heal him. This is a process that would take several days and, as they could not trust sufficient numbers of the hospital staff to work on the jinchuuriki non-stop, they would have to do this over multiple operations conducted over multiple days, perhaps weeks.

It was officially a nightmare of epic proportions. The boy would be in constant pain with no relief in sight for the near future.

To make matters worse, the Kyuubi's recuperative powers were making anesthesia worthless unless it was being applied constantly. Naruto was building an impressive tolerance to anesthesia, his bio rhythms constantly resetting to wakened levels, thus continuously refreshing the astronomical levels of pain and adrenaline almost immediately as his Fight or Flight reflex took hold. To keep the patient sedated, staff transitioned from traditional anesthesia to keeping the child's mind buried under deep layers of sleep-inducing therapy through direct chakra application to critical brain functions; they had to shut his mind down, so he wouldn't register what was being done to heal him. This had huge field applications and, better yet, it was one they could all learn to use through treating the boy.

This could effectively open up life-saving surgery with combat med teams of two or more nins and the potential future impacts in large-scale combat surgery were staggering.

Through direct application of chakra to several parts of the brain involved in sleep, the med nins could actually rotate out when needed, thus prolonging their endurance; there was only one trustworthy anesthesiologist in the group and they couldn't go for fifteen hours without exhaustion but there were several med nins with the skill to induce forced slumber to the brain with much less chakra strain. They could effectively rotate out and "catch their breath" so to speak. They would all still be exhausted when this was all done but, for now, they could share the load.

By the fourth rotation, they all had the process pretty much in hand and were gaining a much-needed education from the lone brain specialist in the group.

Maintaining the correct chemical and hormonal balance required more concentration than simply doping large sections of the brain with anesthesia but less chakra thus allowing the nins small breaks in the action. To keep the patient pliable, they would need to subvert normal operation in the brain's hypothalamus, the brain stem, the thalamus, the pineal gland, the basal forebrain, and the amygdala, simultaneously applying chakra directly to the base of the skull and through the temporal lobe.

First off, they needed to suppress the suprachiasmatic nucleus within the hypothalamus preventing information about light exposure and enabling greater control over the patient's behavioral rhythm. They were tricking his body into believing that it was always time to sleep thereby modifying his sleep/wake cycle. They were effectively resetting his internal clock.

Second, by shutting down triggers from the brain stem, they could add an additional buffer to the hypothalamus and reduce the brain's production of GABA, a chemical affecting arousal levels in the hypothalamus, while manually controlling activity levels in the stem's pons and medulla sections thus preventing the deepest level of sleep – or REM. Entering REM sleep would relax the body too much allowing him to enter a dream state, something that would be catastrophic if those dreams turned into nightmares brought on by recent physical trauma. They could not risk a thrashing patient in the middle of delicate surgical operations. Nins would need to keep him safely in Stage Three non-REM sleep for as long as possible.

Third, they would need to artificially stimulate the pineal gland to enhance certain signals from the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a fine balance if they were to keep his internal clock in snooze mode. The trick was to increase the pineal gland's production of melatonin just enough to support but not surpass deep levels of non-REM sleep. This was a delicate balancing act.

Lastly, triggering the basal forebrain to promote sleep while subduing the emotion-generating amygdala produced a final buffer layer from the external trauma of surgery to help keep the patient's brain effectively deadened to external stimuli.

It was a medical work of art cobbled together out of desperation and the fear of chakra exhaustion. They could not fail the Hokage. They could not fail this child. With a heavy sigh despite the miraculous teamwork used to save the comatose boy, the doctor's wandering thoughts, jarred by a subtle cough from the Hokage during his medical spaceout, returned to his grisly report.

"The patient suffered multiple lacerations and contusions. All major organs were punctured and hemorrhaging blood at unsustainable transfer rates. The fact that he did not bleed to death enroute to the hospital is simply miraculous."

The ANBU standing in the corner growled but did not take his eyes off the boy sleeping in the recovery bed. Seeing no additional comment, the doctor continued.

"Once critical organ function was restored, we proceeded to mend major soft-tissue damage, reconnecting repeatedly perforated muscle tissue in the abdominal and thoracic regions." The Hokage's question made Yamakishi-san pause.

"Repeatedly perforated, doctor?" the Hokage queried.

"Naruto was stabbed forty-seven times in the stomach, chest and neck regions of the body." Hiruzen's eyes grew slightly before he could still his face back into impassivity.

"In addition, we were forced to reconnect all major ligaments in his arms and legs. Someone had an impressive anatomical knowledge base. They were very… thorough in making sure that he could not escape." Inu immediately thought of the Inuzuka suspected of participating; Pagu was part of the Hunter Division.

For the first time the Hokage turned from the child and looked into Yamakishi's eyes before he spoke. "And what of his eye, doctor?"

"I am sorry, Hokage-sama. It can be replaced but not saved. We will… try to match the remaining eye but that is the best we can offer. The child has an unusual and very rare natural eye color."

The Hokage nearly sagged in defeat. If he survived, the child would have a constant reminder of this night every time he looked in the mirror. He would start his day with a souvenir of how an angry mob tried to take his life on the day of his birth.

Oh, how the Hokage hated this festival. If he could prove who from the council leaked the child's status as the Kyuubi container, he would string that person up publicly at next year's festival. That thought prompted him to his next course of action.

"What is your recommendation moving forward?"

"If things progress normally, we will begin resetting his bones once his vitals have stabilized and we have conducted a detailed physical assessment. The mechanism of injury appears to be numerous blunt objects – we found multiple fist and foot impressions over sixty-percent of his torso and lower extremities – so we must be cognizant of secondary and tertiary soft-tissue damage. We had to reset his broken ribs and repair his fractured spinal column and skull to ease pressure to critical organs, so he should be out of the woods there. Now we need to correct his extremities and then I'd like to keep him here for observation for the week following the last corrective procedure, which will be the eye replacement."

The Hokage nodded his permission sending the tired doctor off for much needed and well-deserved rest before turning to the shivering ANBU.

It didn't require a Hokage to see that Inu was angry. His whole body literally vibrated with rage. Admirable though his anger may be, Hiruzen knew that Inu did not know the boy's true origins, otherwise he'd be addressing many more corpses, so this emotion could only be in response to a drunken mob willing to attack an innocent child, any child. Right now, however, he needed him focused on the remaining tasks at hand.

"Captain." Inu snapped to attention and focused on his Commander in Chief.

"I will want you present when the offenders are released from Ibiki's custody. Make sure that Anko is present as well when the final report is given."

Immediately the ANBU's chakra resonated with anticipation. He knew full well what the snake princess's reaction to these bastards would be and he planned to watch as much as he could for as long as he could.

"Also, assign your best team to guard the child lest our more motivated citizens seek to continue the festival's remembrance."

Inu's response was brief, immediate, and professional. With a response of, "Hai! Hokage-sama," he vanished in a swirl of leaves, his body bent at the waist.

Hiruzen turned to the boy wrapped in bandages and wished him strength in the week to come. He would try to visit and lend some of his own strength when he could. With a tear rolling down his wrinkled cheek, the old man vanished without a sound.

~I I I~

Deep below Konoha in the dark environs where sunlight fled the evil of men, a figure swathed in robes and bandages imperiously lorded over the kneeling figures beneath his daised throne. A single eye flickered between individuals as his mind recorded and filed each mission recount, the right side of his head wrapped up eerily similar to a convalescing jinchūriki resting in Konoha General. With a quick nod in the dimly lit chamber, the three masked figures before him vanished into the shadows as a fourth shuffled silently but quickly into the room assuming a similar pose with their neck bent and one knee pressed to the stone floor, the other knee bent and supporting their hands.

"What have you learned?" the mummified shinobi rasped out, the cross-shaped scar on his chin wrinkling with his barely suppressed interest, his lower lip rising ever so slightly when he awaited news of something important.

"The vessel is stable, Danzo-sama. He currently rests in the high security ward on the second sublevel. Doctors appear pleased with his recovery rate and plan to relocate to a more accessible location if the next few surgeries prove equally promising."

The figure identified as Danzo appeared displeased. "The soft-hearted fools would squander high security and risk the container to further reprisal, _tsk_."

The agent was monotone in his ongoing report. "If I may, Danzo-sama." He waited for permission to continue, like all well-trained tools should, Danzo happily noted (though he'd never let on he was pleased). "Konoha believes that the standard two-two-two ANBU rotation is sufficient to protect the vessel while he recovers. The move was predicated based on access to direct sunlight."

Danzo scoffed at the old wive's tale about sunlight being good for recovering medical patients and young children.

"Any signs of the seal weakening post-attack?" This part was crucial.

"Negative, Danzo-sama. The demon-."

"Bijū," Danzo calmly interrupted. He was nothing if not precise.

"Pardon, Danzo-sama…the _bijū_… made no apparent attempts to escape the seal that we could detect. Conversations between the doctor and the Hokage appear to confirm that the entity was more focused on healing the container rather than taking the opportunity to flee and wreak more havoc."

Danzo's one visible eye narrowed in thought. _'The creature must have bonded at some point with the child to forgo its freedom. That is a point we might be able to use to gain leverage over it.'_

"That concludes this agent's report, Danzo-sama."

The mummified shinobi nodded ever so slightly acknowledging the figure's satisfactory performance. "Make sure we establish a proper guard over the weapon; we cannot afford to let Konoha bungle its safety before we can gain control. Use Fourth Platoon to fill the roster. Zero body count unless another attack on the weapon's safety appears unavoidable."

Danzo only had the one unit comprised of four platoon-sized forces but they were highly trained, more so than Konoha's soft-hearted shinobi. He was confident they would succeed where Hiruzen's pathetic nin would continue to fail. Just because the beast had not retaliated, didn't mean that it wouldn't eventually.

By then, Danzo wanted to be firmly in control of the reins.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes**

* * *

This early section is part of the world building for the rest of the story, to include some of the flashbacks planned for the sequel. Here you are introduced to some of the main characters in this version of the Narutoverse. Kakashi is here as the competent Captain, not quite given over to his porn vice (but it is there in the background); note that he knows what Naruto is just not _who_ he is. Danzo in all his royal sliminess makes an early showing to counterbalance the Sandaime. Yugao is there as the up-and-coming Captain.

Characters will come and go and a few mainline OCs will get added. This is a fantasy version delving just barely into the realm of mythology so the extra faces are needed. This story will be so far out of canon that, if you aren't sure you can handle it, this Behind the Scenes note is your early pass to freedom.

The next "Behind the Scenes" will address a question concerning Kyūbi's willingness to help an orphaned human, which will explain why my Kyūbi is not some large-breasted vixen with over-developed maternal instincts; there is a reason behind why she's the way she is and it's tied in with the Kitsune that will begin to make their presence largely felt in this story. Until then…

_Ja ne!_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Next edition of NOTSB. As always, I own nothing and I'm strangely cool with that.

Added 2/23/2020: Thanks to AJGuardian for the catch in the Behind the Scenes posted below. Oddly enough, I had the same typo twice in the same paragraph and didn't catch it. Yes, I know that Konoha's Jounin Commander isn't the same as a 3-story Tanuki but no one is perfect (which is why the world has editors and proofreaders).

Figured while I was at it I'd reread the whole chapter to correct any other glaring errors, of which there were several. My apologies for the slip in quality.

~Siv

* * *

**Chapter 4: To Dream A Dream**

~I I I~

* * *

Given the furor that Inu went about trying to incarcerate, or eliminate, those responsible for the cruel attack on a child, you would think he'd been aware of the child's identity secretly squirreled away in the deepest vaults of the Hokage. One might even argue that he represented all that was good and right in the inarguably questionable morals of the shinobi universe when, in fact, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Truthfully, he was indifferent to the child's plight, the woes of an orphan he'd had the opportunity to watch over briefly during his ongoing career as one of Konoha's elite. It's not like the child was the long-lost son of his beloved sensei no matter how similar his golden shade of hair was or how often the boy's even rarer moments of quiet reflection (when he thought no one was watching) reminded him of the one man the Cyclops would have single-handedly stormed the very walls of Iwagakure no Sato to avenge.

The boy served a purpose. He was the final masterpiece of his beloved master and, yes, Kakashi could finally admit – to himself at least – that he held his beloved Minato-sama in that particular lens even if he'd never utter it aloud. As his master's remaining Namikaze family in Konoha had been wiped out on the tragic rampage of the nine-tailed demon, his particular affectation towards his departed master transferred to the only tangible object left of his legacy; the child sacrifice.

The Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Youko.

The child's last name was peculiar to say the least. Why the Sandaime chose to name him after the defunct clan from Uzushio was, at a minimum, bizarre and yet poetic at the same time. Kakashi had the opportunity to see the seal on his little tummy under the supervision of the ancient Hokage and Jiraiya-sama, the Great and Powerful Toad Scholar responsible for Icha Icha perfection in all its many hues. That great honor shed light on the Uzumaki influences shaping his master's greatest work, therefore, making the homage to the extinct clan of seal masters noteworthy, any similarities to the raging redhead that dogged his master's heels notwithstanding.

He was uncaring, not obtuse.

The boy meant little to him outside of his representation as his master's greatest sacrifice to the village that he loved and protected until his dying day, that being October tenth – which coincided with the child's day of birth. Inu could mourn the first and celebrate the second in his own way.

It was also the reason why he could never be near the boy on the day of the Remembrance Festival lest he spiral and lash out at the innocent not responsible for the death of his beloved icon. He understood the sacrifice needed to seal away the beast and clearly understood the difference between the kunai and the holster that carried it, much like any competent shinobi familiar with the storage seals they used daily in the performance of their duties.

Unfortunately, he was only human despite the myths and legends surrounding the great Copy Ninja.

Humans had their faults, their weaknesses and he didn't want a moment of weakness to cause him to see nine malevolent tails of chakra instead of a whiskered face crowned in gold. So he stayed away on the same day every year. He kept his distance on this one day and this time it cost him more than he was comfortable with paying so that meant the thieves that stole the innocence from his master's legacy needed to pay for their crime.

This meant that if Kakashi couldn't rest until they were found, then they could not rest – wouldn't be allowed to rest – until he found them.

Whether or not they survived to reach Ibiki was questionable but that's considered resting of a fashion, right?

His mask was good at hiding his grimace as he cursed them. Inside he was hoping that the malevolent fury of the demon that slew his master would burn them for all eternity in the deepest bowels of _Mugen Jigoku_, or the _Hell of Unending Suffering,_ as it was commonly used in curses to ward off evil.

In the meantime, he'd focus his efforts, when not guarding his master's legacy, to honoring his promises to his fallen team. Perhaps he could find a way to sweet-talk Mikoto-sama, fine and reasonable woman that she was, into letting him take little Sasuke under his wing when Itachi was out on missions. Obito would like that.

Yeah, Obito would probably wouldn't begrudge him looking after the latest generation of Uchihas.

Decision made, he snapped open his favorite orange distraction and began a leisurely stroll to the hospital. It couldn't hurt to check one last time on the blond science project.

~I I I~

Said "science project" was in a bit of a bind at the moment.

Naruto didn't know where he was, where he was floating off to, or how long he'd been at it. At least he thought he was floating. Everything was dark, he was laying on his back, arms and legs splayed out at all angles, but he couldn't feel anything holding him up. He was just kind of… there. It was peaceful here and he didn't hurt so much anymore. To be honest, it was kind of nice.

Just as he was growing comfortable with the sensation he felt something pull on his belly button, just the briefest tug at first. Then that tug became a yank and, before you knew it, he found himself plummeting into a pool of dark, dank water. Paddling frantically for the surface, his head broke through and he managed to tread enough water to get a look at where he was.

The pool itself was square in shape and he'd fallen right into the middle of it. He couldn't see the bottom, but he wasn't keen on looking for it. He was a passable swimmer, at best, and the water was hard to see in… and salty. One side of the pool grew shallower the closer you got to the edge almost like a ramp. That ramp led to a hallway that disappeared down a dark tunnel. That tunnel appeared to be the only real exit unless you counted flying back up the way he fell.

Since he couldn't fly that pretty much settled things. Forward it was so he started doggy-paddling, hands and legs kicking frantically as he inched along painfully enough until his toes began kicking off the ramp beneath his pistoning limbs.

Odd how his clothes were bone-dry once he finally stood up out of the pool, the water swirling lazily around his knees.

The room was dark but fairly large with enough torches spaced out along the edge to help see where you were going. The walls were dark and dreary, no windows or other light sources but he was used to that; the lights in his tiny apartment didn't work half the time. On the left side of the hallway, a pipe as big a round as his body and pulsing with a blue light ran high up along the wall disappearing off into the dark distance. On the right side, three glowing red pipes, each three times the size of the blue pipe, ran the hallway in the same fashion.

For a second, he thought it looked… familiar.

Not wanting to hang out in the dingy pool, Naruto started sloshing the rest of the way out (the pool must have flooded because four inches of water filled the hallway) and through the tunnel. This place reminded him of the sewers he used to use to hide from angry villagers.

It was depressing to be quite honest.

He stopped, his head cocked to the side while he tried to remember that word people kept saying when they felt like they saw something once before. He gave up after a few seconds and, with a shrug, kept walking.

There were no windows or doors anywhere in this place, so he went the only direction he could. Straight. Before too long, the tunnel opened up into another wide area that ended at the largest set of bars he'd ever seen. He couldn't even see the top because the bars disappeared into the dark nothing above.

He couldn't see anything past the bars and, even though they were clearly big enough for him to slide through, bars were meant to keep something dangerous locked away so he wasn't going to risk the deep shadows in there. He paid attention to horror movies on the rare chance he could sneak a peek at one without Jiji finding out.

He didn't have a key anyway and there wasn't one conveniently hanging around on a hook. There was a sheet of paper higher up on the bars with some weird kanji on it, but he couldn't read that either (no one at the orphanage bothered to teach him and the civilian school he went to for the last year and a half kept him just below the level of a functionally illiterate vagabond), so he couldn't tell if it was a clue, a warning, or a message. It appeared that he was stuck up the river without a homemade fishing pole.

Maybe there was a secret way out at the bottom of that pool? The more he looked around here the more appealing that idea began to sound. Just as he turned around and was about to go back whence he came, a very small, very soft voice called out to him.

"**Hello Naruto-kun." **

Naruto froze in place, his head slowly impersonating a barn owl as it tried to pivot one hundred and eighty degrees back to the bars. He couldn't see the voice past that dark curtain of metal and no one appeared next to them. Despite a small voice in the back of his head screaming, _"Run away!"_ Naruto edged closer.

"H-H-Hello?" … Nothing.

"Can you help me? I can't find the way out."

A girl about his age, and unlike any other he'd ever seen, stepped out of the shadows and into the dim light next to the bars. She was breathtaking, at least to the gaping six-year-old.

Her hair and yukata were a deep shade of red he hadn't seen except for in those fancy glasses people used in those expensive restaurants he was never allowed in to at night. Her hair fell down in crimson waves along her shoulders to where her elbows bent. Her skin was the color of honey and looked smooth like those fancy dolls in Mubiri's store window. Around her neck was a choker made of black silk with a tiny golden bell attached to it. Her yukata had golden patterns all over the lower half, like butterflies, and the sleeves hung low enough to cover her hands.

The only odd thing he could see was her eyes; they started out a bright red but faded into a deep gold color the closer you got to the middle. Given the wide variety of eyes he'd seen in town this wasn't odd by itself – it was the tiny slits that should have been her pupils that seemed… off. Naruto couldn't even shrug at that because he was too stunned by how pretty she was and the odd question in his mind as to why she was locked up in here. He wondered who she had made angry enough to get this kind of detention.

Even with how much the school hated him, they at least kicked him out at the end of the day – sometimes sooner. Well, most of the time sooner rather than later.

That small voice in his head was screaming now for him to run away before she could rip off his head and slurp out his brains. It was too bad that his feet weren't listening.

"P-P-Pretty," he stammered.

She blushed, eyes wide in shock, before her hand shot up to cover her mouth with a yukata sleeve while he stood there gaping like a blond koi fish.

"**I can help you, but you can't leave just yet."**

Naruto blinked in confusion and asked the obvious question, the whole time swearing that inner voice was mocking him now.

"Why not?"

The tiny girl sighed, her eyes growing tender as she waved her left arm at a section of the wall on his side of the bars. A red ball of energy expanded and spun unfurling into a large flat disk of energy resembling a swirl. That swirl exploded in a burst of color shaped like a window, a window looking down into a room with a small child wrapped in many bandages and laying in a hospital bed.

That child looked a lot like him.

"**You can't leave because if I send you back to your body right now the shock will most likely kill you."**

Naruto's answer was underwhelming in its simplicity.

"Oh."

Then his slow-churning brain began to grind through what he was hearing.

"What do you mean, '…send me back to my body?'."

"**I am going to keep you here with me in your mindscape. I need to keep you here… for just a bit longer."**

"Mind-what?"

The tiny girl sighed, and it was such a heart-wrenching sound to the would-be Hokage. The teachers at school often made that exact same sound whenever they had to interact with him. Naruto wished she wouldn't make that sound anymore.

"**Your mindscape is comfy spot deep down in your brain where you can meditate, learn and get away from the outside world."** Naruto looked all-around at the floor, the walls, the bars, the non-existent roof, and his face fell.

"My mindscape isn't very comfy. It looks like a sewer just not as stinky."

The young lady blinked, her head tilted to the side as she studied the fixer-upper named Naruto Uzumaki.

"**Maybe that will change in time. For now, let's work with what we have."**

"Okay!" Naruto chirped.

Without much ado, he plopped down in the water, crossed his legs and gazed up lovingly at the very nice girl that was happy to just sit and talk with him. Yes, it was true that she couldn't run away screaming or angry like everyone else he'd ever met in Konoha as she was trapped but being willing to talk was a vast improvement in his social network of now four people, three of which he couldn't talk to until he got out of here.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours. What do I call you?"

"**Kyūbi, for now."**

Naruto let out a surprised, "Hunh," thinking to himself one of her parents must not have liked her very much to give her that name.

Kyūbi's body shimmered and began to vibrate violently causing her whole form to blur for about three seconds. Then the blurring image stepped away to stand next to her and stopped vibrating revealing another Kyūbi – an exact replica. The new "twin" winked at the very confused and highly impressed six-year-old before stepping over to one side of the cage, her back to their ongoing conversation.

"**Don't mind her Naruto. She needs to… have a conversation… with someone, a conversation that I can't take care of since you and I are having a very important conversation of our own and I don't want to be rude." **

Naruto's crestfallen face brightened a bit as he took that to mean she wasn't going away for good and he might get another friend to talk to even if she looked exactly like Kyūbi. Two Kyūbi friends had to be better than one and now his day would be twice as awesome. With that earth-shattering realization, he turned his deep blue eyes back to his newest friend and inhaled until his face started to swell before letting it all out in a rush.

"Ohmygoshthatwasawesomepleaseteachmethat!"

Kyūbi blinked very slowly and deliberately as her mind methodically broke down and processed that very compressed statement. As the words, and their meaning, began to sink in, she realized that Naruto had absolutely no idea who or what she was. All he saw was a friend, an awesome friend that he could learn cool things from and hang out with. Her burgeoning smile faltered as her demonic disposition, despite clearly not being a nasty demon, warred very quickly between crushing his optimism with brutal reality or deceiving the poor child in order to keep her promise to her last host and only true friend. She found her answer somewhere near the middle.

Kneeling as close to the bars as possible, Kyūbi took a quick breath to steel her nerves.

"**There are a great many things I need to teach you Naruto and, additionally, a great many things we need to accomplish but first you need to understand some things." **

Naruto slowly nodded his head sagely to indicate he was following along and hide the fact that she used several big words he clearly didn't understand.

"**The first thing you must understand is that I'm the reason why your village hurts you, why they don't like you." **

The boy's face twisted up in confusion and the robust nature of his personality let her know exactly what he thought of that.

He laughed.

It was a gut-busting, lay-on-your-back-and-roll-around-like-a-baboon type of laugh that had tears in his eyes. Kyūbi hated to do this but he needed to know. He needed to see her for what she was if they were to move in any way forward.

While he was slapping the water around him in fits of hysteria, she quietly stood, backed away from the bars, released her transformation exploding to her full red-orange-furred glory, and roared for all she was worth. Naruto's body was blown thirty feet down the tunnel and his laughter ceased almost immediately with a frightened yelp as shock abruptly took over.

Silence. Then more silence.

After what seemed like ages - closer to five minutes in Naruto-time, Kyūbi could hear the sloshy footsteps headed her way and waited for their biggest hurdle to begin. If he could accept her as she was, there would be nothing holding them back. If not…

Kyūbi didn't want to entertain the idea of her remaining years in this vessel being filled with silence and solitude. It was far too depressing to consider, and she'd grown fond of Kushina's company no matter how much she hated to admit that. She also wanted that closeness with Kushina's kit. She needed that next relationship. Imprisonment held little else of value and his seal was different as it allowed her to experience his life along with him, no matter how miserable and tragic it currently was.

Waiting for him to return was torturous.

Naruto stopped roughly in the same place he had the first time he approached the bars, his head tilted back so that he could look up into the muzzle of the very, very large fox on the other side of the bars, his jaw practically unhinged and his eyes as big as saucers.

Kyūbi blinked one large eye.

Naruto blinked both of his smaller eyes then slowly closed his mouth and gasped.

"You were _for real?!_" Naruto's question came out in a squeak. Kyūbi merely nodded her large head, her muzzle near the bars as her large body flopped down on the ground sending waves spiraling outward from her location, the warm air from her nostrils shooting Naruto's hair out behind him like a spiky flag.

"You really are the Kyūbi." The large fox nodded again amused at the child's amazement. "But… but… _everyone_ says the Yondaime killed you!"

This time her snort was derisive to indicate what she thought of that.

"So… it was all a lie?" The tone of his voice was much more reserved as the truth began to slowly sink into his tiny mind.

They lied to him. Did everybody else know?

All along they told him one thing and hid the truth. They told him one thing and hated him for the other the _entire time_.

Kyūbi nodded a third time peering with interest as the emotions played across the child's face. Shock. Confusion. Realization. Comprehension. Shock again. Rage. Finally, sadness. His large puppy dog eyes looked up into her slotted ones and the boy fearlessly stepped through the bars and wrapped his arms around her muzzle trying to hug as much of her furry face as he could with such tiny arms.

Kyūbi blinked in confusion, her **"What?"** coming out nasally as the boy pinched her passages. Naruto just spoke into the short hairs of her muzzle while tears streaked down his face and fell onto her fur.

"Sure, the village hates me. Even when those mean ladies in the orphanage used to lock me up they always had to let me out when Jiji came to see me. You can't even get out on your own. It's like people are always mad at you."

He had the reasoning power of a six-year-old and apparently the forgiving heart of one as well. She would have to wean him off that attitude if he was to survive. With one large paw, she scraped him from her muzzle and pinned him to the floor.

"**I don't need your pity! I am the Kyuubi no Youko!"** she roared. Naruto just smiled and hugged the paw that threatened to crush him.

"Everyone needs a friend. Even if you are the strongest, it's gotta be lonely here in my brain and now neither of us will be lonely any longer." The boy flashed a blinding smile up at the five-story fox pinning him to the floor.

And just like that, he accepted her. She was his friend and she could do no wrong because they were stuck together.

She was so shocked the Great Kyūbi reverted back to her tiny human form and promptly got tackle-hugged by the blonde dynamo. She vaguely realized as her mind sifted through the child's mercurial emotion shifting that she enjoyed the physical contact. She couldn't kill him without killing herself thanks to the seal, so she just sat there until he hugged himself out and broke contact with a large blush painting his entire head bright red.

A small voice in the back of her mind wondered how he would feel about those hugs once her front was considerably less flat but that could wait.

She hoped it wouldn't change. Kyūbi really liked hugs.

Naruto released her then plopped down once again only this time it was inside of the cage and without a care in the world. Kyūbi, despite this unusual new… _relationship_ knew their next conversation would take a very long time to work through. She needed to know what his future plans were, as best that a six-year-old could plan, so that she could figure out a way to keep him alive long enough to release her from the seal. If for no other reason, she needed him to trust her implicitly before anyone else.

For her goals to become reality, nothing could come between her and her vessel, and that included that worthless mass of human flesh the boy lovingly referred to as "Jiji," making this a vital conversation to get right on the first go.

Meanwhile, her clone was having an entirely different conversation with that "worthless mass of human flesh." Oddly enough, as she considered her toes while planning her next opening salvo, she realized that her red toenails weren't completely covered by water anymore.

She smiled. It was a start.

~I I I~

_**In Konohagakure General Via the Mindscape…**_

Hiruzen Sarutobi, leader of the remaining Sarutobi clan, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, was experiencing a nervous breakdown. It had to be. There could be no other explanation for what he was seeing despite his previous four attempts to clear away without success this horrible genjutsu.

"Kai!"

Five failed attempts. Maybe it was a stroke? Retirement had to be better than this.

The Kyūbi clone simply glared at him and asked dryly if he was finished. When the stunned Hokage lifted his hand in another half ram seal, the clone lifted a clawed hand filled with flames and challenged him with her eyes, which were now pulsing with flames as well.

Hiruzen slowly dropped the offending limb.

He was right in that it was a genjutsu just one made with her youki, something he couldn't purge as a human. He just didn't need to know that right now.

The Hokage had been in the middle of receiving his monthly spy update from Jiraiya in Naruto's hospital room. This new routine served several purposes:

First, it allowed him to be near the boy, observe his current status, and receive any medical updates while checking up on the ANBU guarding him. _Inu, _who had arrived as part of the watch shift, still maintained the guard thankfully making the brief easier to facilitate.

Second, it allowed Jiraiya to view his godson as he had heard of the attack and wanted "proof of life" as he called it. Hiruzen was not fooled despite his spymaster's nearly stone-chiseled face. Jiraiya was mad enough to kill and would have to be guarded during the remainder of his Konoha visit so he didn't inadvertently make things worse for the boy. He knew the perfect pair of kunoichi for the job but it would take major bribery to get them to accept the mission given his student's (proudly) self-proclaimed _super pervert_ status.

Last time he asked them to babysit the Sannin, they threatened to castrate the toad sage in the middle of Market District during the lunch hour.

The Hokage's office was still receiving bills for psychiatric services provided to minors based on the emotional scarring of that event.

Finally and more importantly, it allowed him time and space from the pressures of his two advisors concerning the ninja still yet to face tribunal over the assault. Koharu and Homura were a little too eager for things to move along, as they put it, so he could return to the proper affairs of a hidden village leader. They seemed a little too eager to help if you asked him.

He wasn't fooled and none of that included a free trip to the _Land of Crazy_.

So that was precisely why his schooled mind was futilely trying to regain control of his current predicament. The dungeon-like quality of the Kyuubi's cage, and the thankfully still intact seal, was doing little in assisting in the matter.

_Inu_, Jiraiya, and the Sandaime were standing on one side of the bars with Kyuubi just behind the seal. She had already explained how she had pulled them into a mindscape genjutsu where the four of them could talk. It was all a lie of course since she couldn't cast jutsu directly through her unconscious host; the seal gave her very limited influence on his body so she'd begun flooding the room with her youki in trace amounts until she had enough to gradually saturate the networks of other inhabitants of the room. From there it was simple chakra network manipulation through overwhelming force, hence why the old man couldn't purge it from his very human chakra system.

Her chakra for days had been saturating both his room and the operating room the staff performed their procedures in effectively deadening their perceptions of it. Overpowering their pitiful human networks had been child's play and, while she had their undivided attention, she decided to have a little fun with it.

Kyūbi was in a distinctly human form, a female human form, most likely of a woman in her early twenties. None of them could tell for sure as she was moving around by using four of her nine tails as legs, two pairs of "legs" to the front and two to the back. Her remaining tails curled up around her body like a tulip revealing only her neck and head resulting in her having to hoist her left hand above the tails in order to threaten the Hokage earlier with serious bodily harm before returning it to the cover of her remaining appendages. Hiruzen caught her movements afterward as if she were adjusting something awkwardly in her arms. The slowly growing puddle of red beneath her was not lost on any of the three men warily watching her questionable movements from beyond the bars.

"Why did you bring us here, demon?"

Now that the initial shock had passed, Hiruzen attempted to keep her engaged while Jiraiya attempted to peek under the tails under the premise of examining the seal above her prison.

Kyūbi smirked and ignored the posturing behind the snide comment.

"**To tell you that your 'concern' for the child is no longer warranted**." All three visibly stiffened as if they'd been stabbed.

"**You are hereby relieved of most of your duties. I will provide hereafter for my kit." **

All three males then gasped with varying levels of hostility, the Hokage glaring as his killing intent began to flood the chamber. Kyūbi was less than impressed and flooded her own anger-laced youki thereby obliterating the Hokage's influence and effectively "resetting" the atmosphere.

"**Don't be such a spoil-sport Hiruzen. You had your chance to protect Naruto and failed, not once, not twice, not three times… but many. I can hardly do any worse than you have." **

Hiruzen was not impressed or pleased and he opened his mouth to contest her claims only to be rendered mute when the she-demon lowered her remaining tails to reveal a bloody Naruto laying across her lap, her legs crossed and tucked neatly under his body to support his weight while her remaining tails kept them above the sewer water. Her yukata was open to one side as the boy nursed from a rather healthy-sized breast, his remaining deep blue eye open to the roof above and unfocused. The blood running from many tears, breaks and other injuries dripped in steady rivulets into the water below. Even the sight of the Kyūbi's magnificent and nearly naked bosom did little to hide the impact of the gory scene.

His most recent failure, despite the boy's miraculous recovery to date, was boldly on display and Hiruzen had no pliable defense.

Kyūbi used her tails to once again cover up her nursing of Naruto's spirit, much to Jiraiya's groaning displeasure. She was well aware of his perverted leanings and had more than made her point. No need stroking his twisted ego... or for him to be stroking anything else while this was going on.

There was a muffled explosion followed by the redheaded beauty glancing down as she readjusted herself beneath the luxurious curtain of fox fur provided by her tails.

"Come now, Kyūbi, surely you wouldn't risk all the progress the boy has made with the people of Konoha?"

She scoffed hard enough to ruffle the tips of the tails still blocking the perverted Sannin's view of her figure. **"What progress?"**

"It's there but change takes time. If we make hasty decisions now we risk souring Konoha's view of the boy and isolating him further." The old man sounded desperate to believe that Konoha would eventually make good on Minato's request and embrace him like a long lost son.

**"I think your medical shinobi need to inspect your tobacco for signs of tampering,"** she cut back snidely. **"How much more pain does he need to suffer before you realize they will never accept him?"**

Hiruzen seemed ready to argue something idiotic about the Will of Fire when she waved her hand and a large circle of red flame burst into view. That circle expanded to reveal a screen of sorts that began flickering through brief moments in Naruto's life like a short film. What the three seasoned shinobi saw therein cut off all further argument.

It began with scene after scene of Naruto being thrown out of store after store sometimes at the end of a broom. The ones that didn't throw him out marked-up prices on the rotten crap they sold him four to five hundred percent, none of it sufficient quality to offer a beggar.

Jiraiya's hands closed into trembling fists as he stared on in disbelief.

Hiruzen's opinion of the Merchant Guild, and the current Haruno guild head, hit an all-time low despite not being able to prove any of what he'd just seen. In the back of the old Kage's mind, plans immediately began shaping ways to earn the boy's forgiveness on behalf of the civilians that cheated him, as it was the lesser of two evils in his mind.

Scenes of his life in the orphanage were too horrible to bear and Hiruzen asked if those could be skipped. Kyūbi gleefully refused to reliving every unnecessary paddling, poisoning with pesticide, starvation attempt, and bullying by peers and adults alike. The finishing blow came when, despite getting a new matron, the orphanage threw the child out onto the cold streets of Konoha five days after his fourth birthday.

**"They already have an opinion of the boy and, as you can see, it's not positive,"** she nearly growled out.

The Toad Sannin glanced at his mentor with barely concealed disgust, something Hiruzen noticed from the corner of his eye.

The vast majority of events after the orphanage involved inhumane amounts of emotional, educational and social neglect from every quarter of his life save for the owner of a small ramen stand, the stand owner's daughter, a small group of ANBU, and the Hokage. Given that the boy spent a short stint on the streets once the orphanage kicked him out, their collective efforts did not make up for the ongoing abuse of an entire hidden village. The boy's absentee landlord would apparently be paying a visit to Ibiki's hostel based on what Hiruzen saw in some of those snippets.

Jiraiya's pained face blanched a little more after that with each example Kyūbi spat in their faces.

**"This rotten village has tried to kill him for the last time,"** her voice finally falling to a growl.

Hardest to take were the scenes of other children at playgrounds kicking and punching the little guy while adults cheered them on. There weren't too many of those but there were enough to paint a very dismal picture of Konoha, especially on the day of the Festival when adults did less cheering and got more directly involved.

When the images finally stopped, Kyūbi resumed her verbal assault.

**"You had one job when it came to the boy; you were supposed to keep him safe and cared for."** Her voice was like a hammer blow to the old man's conscience. **"You had your chance and you blew it."**

Her bare feet settled on the wet stone floor even as all nine tails re-positioned themselves behind her body like a fan, her yukata firmly back in place.

**"This doesn't let you off the hook though as he needs you to continue providing the means with which he can feed himself."**

Jiraiya's eyebrows were knitted together in rage but he stepped in to defend the old monkey, sort of. He was his teacher after all.

"I thought you were going to provide for him, Kyū-chan?" Jiraiya considered his comment entertaining obviously, that is if you were judging by the self-satisfied smirk on his face. The Kitsune female did not appear amused.

**"I can provide for his needs but I doubt you'd be happy with how I do so."** Her eyes narrowed dangerously, the glint in them hinting at nothing socially acceptable. **"If you doubt me, test us and find out."**

"No, that won't be necessary." The old man slapped the back of Jiraiya's head hard enough to face plant the Toad Sage into the wet flooring of the mindscape. "Please ignore Jiraiya's good-natured ribbing."

The curvy demon's eyes followed the dazed Sage on his way to prone reflection, her growing smile taking a darker turn. **"I'll consider it so long as he never calls me that horrible name again."**

Both the Hokage and his prized ANBU were quick to slap a hand over the opening mouth of the Sannin and chorus out an exuberant, "DEAL!"

The entire experience of having the boy's life shown to them from his perspective was jarring especially given the shinobi he saw in those images partaking in the explicit torture of the boy. If he had any way to prove even half of what he saw, Konoha would have a ninja manning shortage that would take decades to overcome. Heck, they were still trying to recover from the losses of the Kyūbi attack six years ago and that was contained to a few hundred lives.

This systemic level of abuse and neglect was heartbreaking.

~I I I~

Once the three were forcefully ejected from the mindscape jutsu, Jiraiya turned to his teacher with an angry scowl and asked, "What did she mean when she said, 'The village had tried to kill the child for the last time,' _Sensei_?'"

The Sandaime cursed bitterly hoping his very adept student had missed that portion of the conversation. He supposed an exposed breast could only do so much to distract the toad sannin and now he desperately wanted a drink of sake and a smoke.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes – Ecology of the Nine-Tails**

* * *

One of the biggest complaints from the original story was the overused FEMKYU story hook.

"_Oh, another sexy Kyūbi, so cliché!"_

"_Why would she offer help? The Kyūbi is a big ball of hate! It hates all humans!"_

In canon, this was correct until Naruto eventually won over the bijū. In this story, Kyūbi is a completely different entity. To understand, you have to go back to Mr. Six Path's decision to "release the Ten-Tails as nine separate entities and give them form" on how things changed in this version of Naruto's world, an explanation I originally felt went too deep into the world-building weeds and disrupted the flow of the story. What follows is the abridged version of the backstory I made for the Kitsune culture.

Now, I'm a fan of mythology. As an amateur writer, I find it diverse enough and just vague enough to let me get away with all kinds of crap. Bonus, should anyone say, "That wouldn't happen!" I can rebut with, "Are you on good speaking terms with the Shinigami?! Prove it!" Deities (and mythology in general) have plenty of wiggle room and literary license to let a writer change crap to suit their story. The problem with that is that if the writer hasn't put at least some thought into their concept, you end up with One-Punch Naruto wrecking the elemental nations and retiring to Uzushiogakure with his seventy-two kunoichi virgins by the time he's twelve.

No, some reasonable boundaries (even in a story laced with unbelievable kami-driven interference) are needed to make the story entertaining yet reasonable. So, I set out to create a world with enough divine intervention to stir the pot and (hopefully) make things interesting for you the reader.

To that end: Kyūbi as a Kitsune is not the hate-filled world wrecker from canon (I will cover the Kitsune culture created for this story in a separate Scenes note). She has the capability to do so just not the desire and that has largely to do with her origin story.

Deities have that mystical eyesight crap that lets them see how badly humans screw shit up in the future. That allows kami "A" to reach down and tweak the situation "B" to hopefully produce a revised situation "C." Only hitch in that giddy-up is that mortals D – F tend to use that "free-will crap" to throw monkey wrenches in stuff and bust up the best-laid plans of mice and gods.

The pantheon in this story loosely centers around eastern mythology and, through access to multiple Narutoverses, they decided a divine intervention was in order. So, nine Kamis used the _Divine Litigation Tool_ (i.e., multiple rounds of Janken and salubrious (healthy) amounts of horse-trading) to deduce who would interfere in the plans of a specific man while trying to prevent the next round of World War Shinobi Part IV: the Sage of Six Paths.

As a result, Inari won rights to Kyūbi in the final round versus Jashin, who got Shukaku as a consolation prize. These chosen nine would become the patron deities (i.e. babysitters) for the bijū with seven of them taking a "hands-off" managerial style; Jashin would influence Shukaku to turn his hosts into suicidal avatars and Inari would use the nine tails to groom powerful leaders of select Kitsune.

To remove Kyūbi from the "Rebuild the Ten-Tails" plan by Akatsuki, he decided to hide her in plain sight and merge the bijū with the Kitsune equivalent, the evolved eight-Tailed Taichou (**Note**: this is not the literal 'Captain' reference seen in most fan-fiction for the word but the larger 'Leader of a Group or People' reference), or ruling equivalent of an emperor in the Kitsune society. With thirteen Kage-level Clan Leaders (seven tails) of the ruling tribes, there would be plenty of raw power to hide the Kyūbi from greedy mortal men.

This process of growth involves ceremony and mysticism, combining both entities into a single Kitsune body (with Inari's help and guidance so neither is lost and the Kyūbi can be passed on to subsequent generations). Too bad man didn't get the memo and Madara started tinkering with the plan throwing everything out of whack.

How did he find out you might ask? How did he even learn that a newly evolved nine-tails was on her required pilgrimage, referred to as "The Awakening" among Kitsune vixens, leading to adulthood so that he could attack and force her to assume her divine form (the enormous fox he used to battle the Shodaime and Tobi later used to attack Konoha)? More importantly, how did his interference affect our beloved nine-tailed Kitsune?

Well, that's a story for an entirely different Behind the Scenes…

_-Ja Ne!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Trying to find a good rhythm for updates. Somewhere between 5k ~ 9k seems to work.

As always, disclaimer-disclaimer-disclaimer, blah blah blah... you get the idea.

~Siva'a

* * *

**Chapter 5: Breaking the Mold**

~I I I~

* * *

Back in the office of the Hokage, Hiruzen calmly, more calmly than he felt, walked behind his desk, grabbed two saucers and his best bottle of sake, and poured one for Jiraiya and himself.

"Jiraiya, the answers you seek are not always pleasant to the ears."

While the other accepted the saucer, he did not partake instead looking expectantly at his leader and mentor to justify the lynching of a six-year-old boy. Hiruzen sighed and downed his drink before pouring another and proceeding to pack and light his pipe. Knowing the uphill argument ahead, the Hokage admitted to himself that he was familiar with most of the visions they saw in the Kyuubi's genjutsu. He knew that the jinchuuriki's secret had been leaked but he'd done what he could to contain the damage believing that the boy could win over the hearts and minds of his fellow villagers if given half the chance.

The problem was that none of the villagers were willing to give that chance. The small boy had been isolated and shunned his entire life sorely lacking the necessary skills to affect that change. Unbeknownst to the august leader of the Leaf, many of the boy's frequent complaints of unfair treatment had been waved off as inconsequential slights or minor inconveniences misconstrued after some of the few major events of his life.

Hiruzen hadn't wanted to spoil the child by being the overbearing guardian figure as that would drive people away from the child for fear of upsetting the Kage. Instead, he'd hoped the child would be able to either win their hearts or learn to shrug off their hostilities as the minor annoyances he saw them as. After all, no one would be stupid enough to actually harm the boy after several of the Hokage's more pointed examples, right.

Right?

Clearly some of those "minor inconveniences" were a bit more substantial than he originally believed.

Jiraiya responded showing his displeasure by deliberately pouring his sake onto the carpet of the Hokage's office and crushing the saucer into powder with a calloused hand.

By this time, Hiruzen's ire at being constantly reminded of his failings had peaked and he was more than willing to share the blame for young Naruto's current dilemma.

"And just what would you have me do Jiraiya?! Where were you when the boy needed his godfather?!" Jiraiya scowled acknowledging that any semblance of respect had long since faded.

"I was doing the work that YOU APPOINTED ME! You knew I couldn't be here to take care of him and lugging around the gaki isn't gonna cut it for a growing boy!" While all true and the benefits of that network greatly helped, it would not be enough to appease the kami of shinobi.

"And just what pray tell kept you from making provisions for the boy while you were gone? Before today you never even inquired about his condition." The Hokage's glare was unflinching.

"I SENT MONEY!" Jiraiya roared.

* * *

In front of desk of the Hokage's secretary, the elderly Councilwoman flinched at the raised voices behind the thick walls and double doors of the Hokage.

At her desk, Kyou looked up at the steadily climbing eyebrows of the ancient woman waiting patiently for her crack at the Hokage and smiled warmly. _'Perhaps she'll have a coronary before the door opens…'_

"I'm sure they'll be done in a moment, Councilwoman," the younger woman's smile faltering near the end.

The Councilwoman in question did not seem to agree.

* * *

"I'm sure that will ease Minato's spirit when you meet him in the afterlife to explain your reasons." This, more than any other argument Hiruzen could have made, floored Jiraiya and squelched his anger. There would be no just defense for abandonment on his promise. He didn't have the heart to explain that the money he sent via Tsunade never made it to the boy – she took the cash and gambled it away routinely hence the reason he no longer sent any, at least not through her. Given how badly the merchants cheated the boy, it was no wonder he was nearly destitute.

The Toad Sage's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm not the one needing to defend myself to Minato once I get there."

The temperature began to drop as the two shinobi powerhouses further squared off.

"Watch your tongue, _gama-kun_."

The threat wasn't lost on Jiraiya – a toad's tongue was their greatest weapon – but the old man was deflecting by pulling rank and that struck the Sage as peculiar.

Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to continue the argument as the office door opened suddenly admitting Homura and Koharu with smug looks on their faces. Hiruzen only moved his eyes their way, the killing intent oozing from his body and lowering the room temperature by another several degrees, forcing their breaths out in stuttered gasps. Takahashi Kyou, his new secretary, was standing in the doorway red-faced and apologetic.

Hiruzen did not fault her for their high-browed behavior. He cut his former teammates far too much slack these days.

"T-The c-c-council has called an emergency meeting." Without so much as a, _"By your leave,"_ they both turned on their heels and departed intentionally leaving the door open. The Sandaime Hokage was quickly losing his legendary patience as he stormed out of his office.

~I I I~

Kyou bowed low at the waist as the Hokage rushed by although he did pause long enough to gently pat her shoulder. She knew that he understood but she still bristled at how those two fossils disrespected her favored leader. They needed to learn their place and the freshly decommissioned ANBU was of a mind to teach them the correct behavior.

She sent the smarmy smile on the face of the Toad Sage along with him following an angry-sounding hiss to go with her narrowed eyes, Sannin or no.

With a sigh and a small sniff of disdain, she set the fresh pile of paperwork into his "In" box and moved to close the door to his office on her way out. They could discuss the new missives when he returned.

"He really should just let me make them disappear," she mumbled to herself. The two ANBU guards by the door merely chuckled at the five-foot-nothing petite figure tearing through the office like a tornado.

~I I I~

Entering the council chamber and assuming his seat, Hiruzen recognized the full board plus four additional faces standing behind the far wall. He recognized three as lawyers for their respective clans and, without prompting, the fourth identity clicked into place despite not having a name – they were all lawyers for the accused soon to be facing a tribunal for the assault on the boy.

Jiraiya entered and closed the door, an unpleasant look on his face as if he'd eaten something bitter recently and still had the taste lingering about his mouth. Several civilian and shinobi council members raised an eyebrow as he did so, but none questioned his presence. The sannin still kept his proverbial council seat despite the number of meetings he spent out-and-about the land on village business.

His network was that important to keeping Konoha one step ahead of the huntsman.

Utatane Koharu sniffed dismissively at the contemptuous look from the Hokage. She held no guilt in her part of this and was not afraid to indicate as much, at least now that she was back among her supporters.

'_Safety in craven numbers,'_ he groused.

Hiruzen raked his eyes across the faces seated around the u-shaped conference table and noted the number of smug faces lacking the common decency to feel remorse for the recent attack. His mood soured considerably beyond his on-going battle with Jiraiya. Oh no, he had no reason to believe that particular argument ended conclusively.

"Hokage-sama, please review and sign our petition." Hiruzen gawked at Elder Utatane.

So, there was to be no discussion? Did they presume to openly dictate to the Hokage? Believing he already knew the offending document's contents, the Sandaime glanced quickly over the neat lines and promptly set the petition aflame, the ashes quickly burning out before they hit the floor. The outraged gasps in the room were expected.

"I will not commute the punishment for grown men attacking a small child." His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Uchiha Fugaku rose from his seat, the picture of arrogant nobility. "If it were the matter of a small, defenseless boy, I would be the first to surrender clan rights to prosecutorial adjudication, however-"

"You know where I stand on the 'demon-vs.-child' argument," the Hokage interrupted. "This contention holds no merit within these walls, _Councilman_ Uchiha." Fugaku "tsked" and resumed his seat in disgust but not before sending one last barb.

"You cannot deny this is clan business. The boy does not hold shinobi status and, as none of them broke your precious law, their… _questionable_… behavior in attacking a civilian notwithstanding, bloodline clans may exercise jurisprudence." He blatantly left out the fact that the Civilian Council would never support the boy in any claim so that meant any petition on his behalf was dead in the water before it even began.

The Sandaime was well aware of the Shodaime's broad-reaching benevolence to clans in general, those with powerful bloodlines all the more so. He was also painfully aware of what would happen if he lost his grip on the attackers.

The fact that the only civilian caught in the act with three clan bloodline members and one non-bloodline clan shinobi was rapidly closing loopholes to avoid punishment was not lost on Watanabe Seiua, the lone non-shinobi. The Civilians in the room would most likely do all they could to protect him or minimize his suffering and Hiruzen knew that.

The old man decided right then that, if he could not make the villains suffer, then he would make their protectors pay through the nose.

The Sandaime argued a losing battle for the next twenty-five minutes putting up a valiant effort, losing one that it was. He knew that clan punishment would amount to little more than a slap on the wrist for three of them. As the Yamanaka did not have a bloodline and the civilian really had no clan-serving protection, only two of the five would have to pay reparations with the civilian council strongly advocating their shock at such behavior and vowing they would work diligently to ensure Seiua-kun met his appropriate financial obligation to the poor victim.

The Hokage was not so quick to let any of them off easy as he had a fairly good idea what the council felt would be "appropriate and sufficient" reparations.

"Watanabe Seiua and Yamanaka Rikuto, for their part in the brutal mauling of a defenseless child, will each pay the sum of five million Ryu (the hissing sound of air being sucked through teeth ringed the council table) to the aggrieved through the office of the Hokage, who, as the child's sole legal representative organization (none of the villages legal counsel were willing to represent the boy so the Hokage's office was forced to take up that role), will act as executor of the Uzumaki estate until he is of age to do so. The clans will pay the same in reparations, either in currency or the equivalent value of clan resources, through the Hokage's office, which will be remunerated directly to the Uzumaki Estate via established clan accounts."

The shinobi clan heads that had been scowling at this mockery of a council meeting nearly snapped their necks as heads on their side of the room whipped to the Hokage's seat, many with happy glimmers in otherwise murderous glares.

It was not enough but it was something for the boy currently lying comatose in the hospital.

Many civilians, and a few shinobi clan heads, stood to argue against what they felt to be an unfair and harshly punitive measure when the Hokage viciously cut them off.

"You have twenty days to remit payment. Delinquents will be referred to Ibiki-san for appropriate corrective measures and fines will be doubled."

With that, the Third rose from his chair and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Homura and Koharu knew that had achieved a victory over the old leader but they weren't so smug as to assume it was complete domination. The civilian council wasn't so self-aware. A couple of advisors starting to feel their age, they released a sigh neither knew the other had been holding.

Another heavily bandaged shinobi scowled as he puttered out of the chamber, the only indication of his displeasure a slight tightening around his one visible eye. These fools were playing a losing game and, sooner or later, their one real weapon would tire of this foolishness and call in all debts.

Back in his office and for the second time in the day, the Hokage sat in impudent fury unable to change the outcome of what he was hearing. Sure, he could override the overall premise of the argument, their defense was rather loosely based on the clan imminent domain concept established by the First Hokage at the foundation of the village, but that doctrine was intended to govern affairs internal to clans themselves. The problem was that it was a loosely-defined concept meant to shape clan politics and blatant use of force could potentially lead to rioting and insurrection. He could not afford a civil war over the demon vessel that the majority of the civilian populace would turn against him causing the revolting clans to openly oppose him. In his mind, it was simply not worth the risk.

Furthermore, the fact that the child was not currently in a shinobi clan, was not an active duty shinobi, or at least attending the academy, something he would have started next semester; therefore, he did not have the statutory protections other shinobi enjoyed against baseless attacks by other shinobi. In essence, he had no one to defend him and no one else beyond the Hokage or a small ramen stand owner was remotely interested in doing so. He would rot in the lowest levels of hell before he left the boy unprotected another year of his life. Unfortunately, Hiruzen had few options.

As it was he jeopardized his own clan speaking on the boy's behalf, but he felt the risk worth it. He owed that much to Minato and Kushina.

More and more the Hokage was inclined to believe that the Kyuubi was correct in her – the fact that the Kyuubi was female still shocked him and that gorgeous bosom of hers… - assessment of what the child would need to survive. There wasn't much Hiruzen was inclined to do to stop the demon but there was something he could do to help protect the child. Hiruzen waved a hand and whispered to the crane-faced ANBU that appeared next to him.

"Find Cat for me." With a curt nod, the efficient ANBU vanished with tiny puffs of smoke.

_Back in the Mindscape…_

"**I am going to help you, Naruto, and I am going to help you in several ways." **

This pleased the boy greatly. He had a new friend that would never leave, and she was going to help him… somehow. Life was a hard day today and it was worse when you were a six-year-old that had no one to teach you how to get along in life. Jiji was nice in a grandfatherly type of way but he wasn't always available. In fact, he hardly ever got to see the guy since that meant getting past mobs that wanted him dead most of the time. This mindscape thing was nice to have and he wouldn't even have to leave his apartment!

Now if he could just get her to walk around outside of it…

"**First of all, we are going to break the limiters that have been placed on you."** Naruto was confused.

"Ano… anosa, what is a 'limiter,' Kyūbi-chan?" Kyūbi blushed at the familiar suffix to her unofficial name but continued anyway.

"**A limiter is like… a very tall wall that you can't get over or around. Picture a wall with a hole just big enough for your hand to fit through and on the other side is all the ramen you can eat. The problem is that the hole only lets you get the ramen closest to the wall and the rest of it is forever out of your reach… that is until we find a way to remove the wall." **

Naruto turned three shades lighter and had a look of abject horror on his face. He could resonate with that example and wanted very dearly to get past the evil wall blocking him from Ichiraku's perfect food of the gods. Seeing she had his devout attention, Kyūbi pointed behind him to the nearest (relatively) real wall.

Naruto glanced over his left shoulder and saw a statue of himself standing on a three-foot-high pedestal. The statue was made of a dark stone that looked dry and pitted. Around the statue's waist and neck were shackles connected to the pedestal base by thick, heavy chains. The statue's hands were shackled together with manacles and the chain connected those manacles to the pedestal base right at his feet. On the base held by a small strip of tape was a paper patch with two kanji characters he couldn't read.

Naruto never had a picture of himself or his unknown family so to have a statue with his image was impressive. He looked back to Kyūbi in confusion, an eyebrow raised in his unspoken question.

Kyūbi walked over to the wall of her cage on the same side of the room as the statue and placed one palm against the dark stone. Tendrils of red energy snaked out from her palm and lit up row upon row of strange circular symbols with lots of squiggly lines, groups of them glowing in different colors.

"**These are seals Naruto, seals tied to the one that keeps me sealed in your body. One day soon I'm going to show you how to find that seal and together, you and I are going to learn how to harmonize our power so that no one can hurt you again."**

Naruto was happy enough to hear this that his body started vibrating with excitement.

**"Those chains on that statue represent the seals that form three major types of limiters placed on you to slow down your growth so that you don't absorb too much of my chakra. It can hurt you if you take too much in during a short period of time."**

This was a revelation for the small boy. _'What was chatarah? And why would Kyūbi-chan's chatarah hurt him?'_

"**Your body needs time to adjust and absorb my chakra naturally and, while there are many seals to enhance our ability to work together, there are a few set to regulate the process, so you are not accidentally harmed by it."** Okay, this sounded important so he nodded sagely, eyes squinted to near slits.

The bijū most definitely did not internally squeal at the sight. Nope, not one bit.

"**While I cannot affect the master seal that keeps me here or even the majority of the seals that contain and transfer my power into something you can use safely, I can directly affect a few that are tied to my chakra and I believe this was intentional by the one that created your seal."**

Kyuubi pointed to three seals at the lowest tier of the wall and Naruto tried to count all the others, including the two largest ones at the very top before he realized that he could only count to ten and starting over every time he got to ten didn't help very much. After the third round of ten, he simply stopped counting.

"**When the doctors finish healing you and your body has stabilized, I am going to remove these three seals that form your limiters and then our training to make you powerful will begin."**

"Ano… Kyuubi-chan, how will you train me in here?" Kyuubi merely smiled and touched a white seal on the wall on the far side of the seal array. With a pulse of energy, she pulled a large scroll out and partially unrolled it showing line after line of flowing script.

"**Everything I learned through my last summoner before her great catastrophe is recorded in my memory and can be brought forth in scrolls and books for you to share here in your mindscape. You will need to transfer them to scrolls of your own out there if you want to read them when you aren't here with me."**

Naruto lowered his head in shame and mumbled something too low for her hearing to pick up.

"**What was that Naruto?"**

The boy raised his head and shame literally poured from his eyes in the form of an almost anime-like flow of tears.

"I can't read or write! Nobody never taught me!" The boy was all but wailing in abject shame but Kyuubi's face brightened as she realized she had her way in to fully gain his trust.

"**You meant to say, 'No one ever taught me,' Naruto-kun, but that's okay. That my dear kit is the first thing we are going to fix both in here and out in the real world."**

Naruto's face brightened like a solar flare. He finally had someone willing to help him.

Kyuubi tossed the scroll through the bars and into Naruto's lap while a small desk filled with school supplies, a standing station set up for calligraphy, and a floating chalkboard that wrapped around his new learning station appeared out of thin air inside of her cage. Naruto was so impressed he failed to notice that, except for a few water puddles, the floor to the cage was dry.

Kyuubi did notice and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

With a quick "poof" of smoke, Kyuubi created a much larger scroll with golden trim and a large fox head crest on the outer casing. Unrolling it, Naruto saw line after line of script along with many blocks filled with red splotches blurred beyond recognition. When she reached the next open square, she laid it over his kanji station and motioned him over.

"**This is how I am going to help you 'out there' where I cannot go, Naruto."** Naruto was impressed with the neat and orderly script that he couldn't read.

"What is it?"

"**It is the summoning contract for the Kitsune and you are going to be the next summoner."** Blink, blink, blink.

"Summoner? You mean like Jiji's monkey friend?" It was Kyuubi's turn to blink in surprise.

"**Yeeeeess, exactly like that. Except it's not a monkey contract. I don't do monkeys. They are smelly and fling poo. I do foxes." **

She grinned mischievously and stroked his whiskered cheek soliciting a blush from the young boy who literally purred in her hand. Her grin, as a result, threatened to take in her entire face.

Violently reigning in her thoughts concerning the impressionability of young human children, she turned back to the scroll.

The truth was that there was no such thing as a Kitsune contract. The Kitsune was a very particular strain of Youkai, not a summoning clan.

While their realm bordered the Land of the Fae and the mortal realm, Kitsune were free to transcend those borders as part of an agreement through the Celestial Court. Their bodies didn't go into a state of hibernation as their consciousness was summoned to the mortal realm to inhabit a provided chakra body, which was an unfortunate oversight in the binding agreement between the Youkai, Oni, and Bakemono of the realms.

This meant that Kitsune could never take to combat with the same reckless abandon seen in a true summons as their very real bodies were put to risk every time they answered the call from their beloved Nine-Tails, the only being with the authority granted by Inari-sama himself to summon them for combat purposes.

This also came with various perks and limitations not associated with the more volatile summoning agreements.

Summoned Kitsune, Youkai in general, were not bound by chakra limitations that forced them to disperse and return home once the chakra sacrifice expired; once called by the substantially larger initial offering of life energy required to bridge the reverse summons, they could stay pretty much indefinitely short of death or old age. Also, while the summons required more chakra, it didn't necessarily require blood to enact the summons unless the summoner chose to identify themselves beforehand to their intended summons, almost like a blood contract of sorts that the summoned Kitsune could still reject. Biggest benefit came in that the contract did not conflict with the summoner actually obtaining a true summoning contract on their own, provided the race gleaned did not naturally conflict with the Kitsune.

While there would be certain pitfalls with wolves, dogs, and other natural predators, it made for a potential ace in the hole for young Naruto should he survive Konoha. She just needed to sync his chakra with hers so that the Kitsune would recognize the summons if he called.

All in all, it was a fairly useful tool for the chosen of the nine-tails to have, a gift for her bestow upon her host even if it did come with its own drawbacks.

As stated before, it was chakra intensive, each Kitsune summon requiring twice the normal chakra of a traditionally summoned creature. Once arrived, the Kitsune in question was just as vulnerable as the summoner, meaning that death, illness, starvation and a whole host of otherworldly ailments were all on the table, hence the Kitsune's less than willing acceptance to an unnecessary death. Seeing as the ability to call Kitsune originated from having the Kyūbi embedded in your chakra network, it guaranteed that something from the clan of tricksters would respond but that did not automatically insure obedience; short of a very specific pair of summons she had in mind for the boy, there would need to be a Herculean effort on his part to force the loyalty of a fiercely protective, and exclusive, clan of temperamental vixens to fall in-line with another male Kitsune.

The last one did not necessarily inspire loyalty instead forcing a rebellion among the ranks and the emergence of a strong matriarchal society that refused males any form of power or leverage as a result of his pain and treachery.

Naruto would have to deal with that nightmare in time but they would first need time to prepare. Until then, she needed to get him some help…

"**Now bite your thumb, touch it to all of your fingers before it heals and press your fingers to this empty block. Since you can't mold chakra yet, I will have to help you." **

Naruto did as she asked and looked up with wide blue eyes. The Kyūbi no Kitsune placed her hand over his and red energy poured from her fingers into his fingertips burning his bloody prints into the scroll paper. He figured that must be what she meant by chatarah. That would be cool to learn especially if his hands got all glowy like that.

With the contract signed, the scroll vanished in her hands and Kyuubi motioned for her student to take his seat. It was time for school to begin and maybe he would not notice the way his chakra network tingled as she sunk another tether to it...

That first infusion would make the next step so much easier.

Since time flowed differently in the mindscape – the mind works much faster than the body – they were able to compress many equivalent days of instruction for each day Naruto spent unconscious while medic nins broke and re-healed his many broken bones. It was a laborious process that involved preventing and or repairing nerve damage without exacerbating his condition and spending hour after hour removing bone fragments, so they didn't shear ligaments, tendons or other needed biological systems. Each limb was a major session, some requiring multiple surgeries when repairing complicated structures like hands and feet. Each session had to be followed by a recovery period where his small body had to cope with the trauma caused during removing the bone deformities and so it developed into a break-heal-sometimes break again-heal again-rest cycle before it all repeated.

At night, Kyūbi did her part to reduce scarring, calcium build-up, and deformities using her chakra to finish the job.

This cycle gave Kyūbi all the time she needed to focus on the basics – his ability to read, to write, to perform simple math, and begin the practice of molding chakra, something made infinitely easier by the way she taught through storytelling vice lecturing.

"Morning nee-chan!"

The Bijuu held back a groan. Being stuck in the body of what she considered to be a six or seven-year-old child was annoying enough. Being stuck in such a childish frame with an equally childish host tested her patience and self-control as she found small children infuriating most of the time. They were especially horrible in the early hours of the day after a really brutal night of healing his broken body.

Naruto, thankfully and for the love of Inari, wasn't a horrible alternative so long as his mask of insipidity was safely tucked away.

Kyūbi discovered what she dubbed the Inverse Law of Naruto-ality, meaning the more attention she provided the less air-headed he tended to act. As he was receiving mostly positive attention and reinforcement, the bright Ningen didn't feel the need to be loud and obnoxious. Oh, he had his emotional moments but those were becoming fewer and far between as he learned more and more about what was acceptable behavior from the memories of his mother and great grandmother and how Konoha was trying to hamper his development just to keep him compliant or subdued.

Did it make him angry? Of course, it did but Kyūbi was trying to teach him to find all the angles behind a problem before "going fox-mode" on someone, as he liked to threaten. Often.

One of these days she'd have to ask him just what he meant by that.

In the meantime, she was trying to expose him to the Kitsune way of life and that meant thinking problems through so that his solution didn't involve detonating explosive notes she hadn't yet taught him to make. She'd have to address how he could possibly get his hands on them at some point but that could wait until later.

Glancing down to the boy happily reading "The Lion and the Mouse," she plopped down next to him with a cheery smile on her lips.

**"Have you figured out the true meaning of the story, kit?"**

He seemed perplexed. "True meaning? Isn't this it?"

He pointed to the stylized words at the end of the story, _"A kindness is never wasted"_ proud of his detective work earning a thoughtful nod from the powerful Kitsune.

**"That's not a bad guess. It works for civilians and humans but there is another lesson if you want to be a shinobi."**

She had his full attention now as the book clapped shut.

"There's more?" he chirped up in awe.

**"For a shinobi, it means that today's enemy might be tomorrow's friend so be careful how you treat people. Never let them take advantage of you but don't needlessly antagonize them for you may have to depend on them at some point in the future."**

The boy nodded sagely as he soaked up her words.

**"Someday I will need to share with you the story of our TenthTaichou, the last great male of the Kitsune before the Upheaval."**

Naruto remembered how she'd mentioned the Kitsune was now run by powerful females and men were little more than servants even among their own families. He bet this guy had something to do with that so the story had to be good.

Briefing hugging the dainty looking nine-tail, he hopped up to go find his next literary victim leaving behind a gently smiling vixen proud at his emotional progress, even if his mental training was moving along a bit on the slow side.

There was good news, however. In the month she kept Naruto buried in his mindscape, Kyūbi was able to erase most of the damage caused by the four years of neglected miseducation foisted on the boy by the orphanage and the civilian school system. With the limiters still on, Naruto didn't make great progress, but he was no longer functionally illiterate. If she had to assess his education she'd guess he was right around where he should be in the civilian system. It was frustrating that he couldn't retain what he needed to and some of the earlier lessons had to be repeated but it was better than nothing, which was where he started from. With nothing.

There were some positives. The boy took to calligraphy like a fish to water. Those lessons vastly improved his writing structure and uniformity, and this bode extremely well for when they would later get to _Fūinjutsu_. He also had a freaky compatibility with math that she couldn't explain but that was a good thing in her mind.

The problem was he wasn't advancing fast enough and soon he'd be back to the distractions of his daily life filled with hate and loathing. Pushing aside her normal thoughts of scorching Konoha to ash, the centuries young Kitsune turned her eyes to the slightly less-pitted image of her container.

Faster than she realized, her tiny feet found her before the wall of seals, the graffiti-like representation of the seal array molded into the bars of her cage. The vast, vast majority of them would remain beyond her reach, her face wrinkling up as she mentally cursed the evil Yondaime. Unfortunately, now was not the time for dark and gloomy thoughts as she needed to focus.

Her problem was a constantly shrinking level of patience. She was the greatest of all Kitsune bolstered by the greatest of all bijū. It was only fair that she have the greatest of all containers. The problem was the amount of time it would take to make him the greatest of all vessels in a village actively trying to sabotage everything about him.

Options?

She could train him at night while he slept but that option came with risks of its own. The mind, like the body, needs rest in between stress sessions. If he's actively using it while awake and she was forcing him to actively use it while he was asleep, when would it rest? Without a proper break, how long would it take before he snapped and starting stabbing puppies?

The whole train-til-you-break-and-demonically-restore-your-body trick was a given but they needed to resolve the accompanying you-can't-buy-the-healthy-food-you-need-to-repair-your-body-fully part of the equation. Without that, his body would eventually cripple itself – there was only so much she could do with youki. They would need a way around human stupidity and bias first.

Teachers? None of Konoha's learned had impressed her thus far.

Self-study? He couldn't get into either library and there wasn't a bookstore within ten kilometers that would sell him a used newspaper.

Fact of the matter was that she had very few options with him stuck in a hospital and even fewer resources beyond the mindscape if she wanted to keep him current – the past could only do so much for him. That realization, in and of itself, brought her back to the statue of her host, it's rough and slightly less pitted exterior drawing her eyes like a neon sign in the Red Light District.

With a deep shudder and accompanying sigh, her eyes never leaving her silent guardian, one delicate hand rose to press flat against the wall of her prison. In a vicious blast of flame and youki, the almost delicate collection of scribbles began flaking away into tiny wisps of ash.

She waited for a solid ten-count before breathing again just to make sure the walls didn't collapse.

Then she waited another ten count to make sure her container didn't flop onto the floor and start running in circles like one of the Three Stooges.

It was risky enough that she broke from her plan taking a chance on stressing his system during one of the doctor's reset periods by burning through the mental limiter seal that shut off or greatly restricted the functioning of his brain. It was an enormous risk but the results were instantaneous and very promising.

Lowering her hand from the palm-sized seal on the wall, Kyūbi turned to watch her student. He was bored stiff and trying to read through a scroll on the elemental nations when his eyes glazed over, then blinked rapidly four times in succession.

The neck chain on the statue shattered into pieces and fell away, the fragments vanishing before they reached the floor. At the desk, the boy's unfocused eyes began rapid back and forth reading motions as his brain assimilated the information that had previously been hidden under years of fog and drudgery. With the snap of his eyes back to the scroll, Naruto rewound back to the beginning and started reading in earnest, his mind soaking up the droll treatise on inter-village politics like it was elemental jutsu of the highest order.

It was a risk, a big risk, but one Kyuubi needed to take if she was going to upgrade his abilities before he could become eligible to request entry into the ninja academy. Kyuubi had planned to leverage the old Hokage to be his sponsor since no one else in the village would. She needn't have bothered as she found out while scrying into the room Naruto rested in while the Hokage conversed with a cat-faced ANBU in hushed tones.

She fed minute traces of chakra to the boy's ears and tuned in the muffled voices on the other side of the room...

~III~

* * *

"Hokage-sama, Naruto is registered for the academy for the next fresh class as you commanded. He will begin classes in the fall year after he graduates from the civilian preparatory academy."

Neko was standing at the foot of the bed, both she and the Hokage looking down at the still mummified child in the room. The sickening sounds made during the fixing of his bones had left him queasy with sympathy pains for Naruto and incredible frustration and anger at the council, both civilian and shinobi.

"That is good Neko-chan. Thank you."

The ANBU waved off the mild approval with a bow from the waist straightening just a hair as a thick envelope got pushed under her mask by the Hokage.

"I have one last assignment for you concerning the child."

Neko raised an eyebrow at this.

"I am promoting you to the rank of Tokubetsu Jounin, effective immediately. You are assigned a medium-term Class B mission to help prepare Naruto for his shinobi term start."

He knew the young ANBU had a soft spot for the child being one of the few not blinded by sheer rage at the bijū vessel. She saw a small boy and one that needed some form of guidance and protection. The promotion gave her leeway in mission selection and the relative freedom to see this through.

"And the money Hokage-sama?"

"Use it to prepare Naruto for his first year at the academy. He will need it. His apartment was destroyed the night of the attack, but I am making the necessary arrangements. Also, he will need new clothes, equipment… everything."

The envelope vanished along with the ANBU Captain.

* * *

Kyuubi, seeing that the boy had not started convulsing from the surge of cranial activity, closed off the scrying portal and glanced back to her student as he moved on to basic geometry.

Thinking to herself that she would need to adjust his training plan, she completely missed the Hokage's following apology to the unconscious boy.

~I I I~

* * *

_Year 17 Day 297: He lives! The vessel lives! Kami has deigned to redeem this shattered servant assuredly when it is most needed; I fear buttressing my estrangement to the Matron's calls begins to wear thin. She comes soon. _

_I must prepare for her arrival and pray she does not rip my tails from my spine._

_Toru, The Silver Ghost_

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N:** A bit more of the sequel filler to plug gaps from the original posting.

Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I was originally planning to release this chapter with the next "No More" release but the timing did not cooperate as I'd hoped. In the hope of not stalling this story more than necessary, I give you Chapter 6 a few days later than planned with the hope that Chapter 7 will be released on schedule.

Enjoy as you will.

~Siva'a

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Mile in My Bandages**

~I I I~

* * *

In the weeks that followed, medic nins fixed every broken and fractured bone in the child's body. Many would need, and would get, convalescent time away from the trauma ward. Some would never return to active service and Doctor Yamakishi would mourn the loss of those good souls.

It is understandable that those true professionals in their field would rebel at the horror perpetrated on a child. That level of violence and trauma surely must be the product of a deranged killer, some psychopath totally divorced from the norms and customs of polite society. Surely this was not the byproduct of normal, everyday citizens of Konoha. Surely not the same people that walk the streets and greet you with a smile and nod or discuss the latest speculations over tea on whether an heir will emerge from among the talented Jounin successors to the Hokage?

It was almost too much to bear.

Those that returned did so under a stronger conviction to help the small blond child clearly left adrift in the large village. _Someone_ needed to keep an eye out for him, didn't they?

Uzumaki Naruto's guardian club grew by seven.

It had been eight days since the last surgery. Doctor Yamakishi personally conducted the physical evaluation to verify functionality and range of motion in the child's atrophied limbs. Mild electrical pulses would be applied later to his limbs to prevent a total wasting away of muscle fibers and subsequent loss or inhibition of the motor neuron collective.

Besides, there was a betting pool going to see if he would wake before the new year, one played between the trusted group caring for the child and the obnoxious horde clamoring for his death. Naruto's small medical fanbase had staked their faith (and a large pool of Ryu) on the boy to prove the latter wrong.

For now, the small cadre of trusted staff made their rounds of the upper medical floors and interspersed their normal routine with periodic checks on the unconscious miracle child. It had to be a miracle to survive what he had. Sure, it was touch-and-go with a few flatliners in the early stages but, with each correction to his broken body, he got stronger. Despite the unbelievable trauma, he would live.

The question remaining was would he thrive or be a broken shell of a human? That was a question for mental health practitioners.

This staff knew their job.

They were good at their job.

This battered boy would live because they did their job extremely well.

Once Naruto was out of harm's way, Yamakishi-san had him moved to a room on the upper floors, one with a large window overlooking the park. Every morning one of the nurses would check his vitals - once routinely cleared and searched by very observant ANBU guards, see if the few flowers needed to be replaced (no one had identified the mysterious donor yet), and gently throw open the curtains so the boy could get daily rations of sunlight.

Vitamin D. Every good boy needs sunshine in their life. It was a well-known fact among mothers and Nurse Tamako had raised three strong boys, so she should know best.

~I I I~

Naruto sat on the now dry floor of his dungeon mindscape. As he no longer felt the bitter tears of his hopelessness, the water had simply receded from his mind. He was no longer lonely. He knew enough to still know he was destitute and barely above the poverty line in Konoha, but he was no longer alone and that could make a huge difference in and of itself.

The rest would come in time.

"**Naruto. You are about to return to the waking world. I know we will speak many more times, but do you have… anything you want to ask me before you return?"**

Naruto shook his head somberly. He knew the upcoming years would be hard. Kyuubi shared with him a few days prior – was it really days since time was screwy in the mindscape? - that the Hokage had made plans for him to attend another school, a special school that would help him achieve his dream of becoming the Hokage (who hadn't heard the small boy running through the streets screaming like a banshee that Hokage was his future job title?). It would require a lot of focus and dedication for him to achieve that goal and he knew that Konoha would fight him bitterly to prevent that from happening. Her ripping the blinders from his mind was both a blessing and a curse.

Naruto only sighed in response.

It's not like he was afraid of the hard work required. He had a vague idea what it would take for effort on his part, however, without the support of the populace he knew he'd never obtain the vaunted hat no matter how powerful he was.

Kage-level Genin? It wouldn't matter since Hokage wasn't a hereditary position in Konoha.

One of the scrolls he read explained the bureaucratic structure and political interplay of the Konoha administration and he knew Hokages had to be approved by and through the Council. That fact struck a sour note since Hokage-jiji explained how the prosecution of his attackers went during one of his daily update sessions with the white-haired Jiraiya; Kyuubi kindly replayed that one memory for him in disgusting high-resolution detail.

He would need Kage-level strength just to make Chuunin in this town. If you followed that scale of escalation then he'd need to be an SS-ranked shinobi to be even considered for the seat. The Council, in all their wisdom, would never willingly elect him regardless of how powerful he was. Hell, they pretty much rewarded five jerk wads for trying to outright kill him.

The more he thought about it, the more he wasn't so sure he wanted the job anymore.

Oh, he wanted to make Jiji, Teuchi, and Ayame-nee-chan proud. They had been his foundation in this crumbling cesspool, but he just wasn't sure he cared enough about a bunch of villagers that wanted him dead. He thought long and hard on those same villagers that had tried multiple times since he was two years of age and living in an orphanage that would later evict a helpless four-year-old onto the street.

Did they deserve his protection?

Should he even care?

He understood the principles of right and wrong, turning the other cheek, and being the bigger man. On paper, they all looked rather high-brow and prevented him, in theory, from "stooping down to their level." The problem was that each concept rang a discordant note in the back of his mind.

The cynic in his head couldn't help but read those legendary missives as something said after someone has wronged you to prevent being persecuted themselves. _Yes, I stabbed your dog and raped your wife but... you don't want revenge, do you? Shouldn't you be the better man and show me, through your good deeds, how I should live a better life and emulate your actions?_

It sounded like something a pacifist would say hoping that criminals of the world would throw down their knives and "see the light." Wasn't he planning to be a ruthless killer? He was to be a shinobi for ramen's sake! His future career path said "Assassin" in big, bold letters and he was pretty sure that would alter his perception of high morals and homicidal tendencies.

Only time would truly tell. In the meantime, he had much more training he needed to complete before his new semester started. More importantly, Kyuubi-nee-chan promised she would provide help for him on the "outside," as she called it, once he was free of the hospital.

All that was moot at this point. Together they had done all they could in the time allotted to correct his severe lack of education short of social interaction, something he self-admittedly lacked in spades. Some things you just can't fix talking to yourself.

Yelling at the top of your lungs in someone's ear didn't help much either so he planned to work on that stupid mask of his, among other glaring deficiencies.

With a firm nod of his head, Naruto indicated he was ready to leave and, with a mischievous wink to the auburn-haired vixen, he felt himself pushed out of the mental dungeon.

He completely missed the raging blush that took Kyuubi's face two shades darker.

* * *

_**Back in Naruto's Hospital Room…**_

Idly, she pushed a strand of golden hair from over his eyes – it was growing so long perhaps she would trim it today – and checked his pulse. Soo strong this one. With a gentle pat on his left cheek, she smiled warmly and prepared to finish her rounds, her hand just turning the door handle.

With the frantic press to fix the boy's critical injuries behind them and on a bright December day, Nurse Tamkako (once again on duty) heard the squeaky croak of a very dry throat and, for the second time, had her pulse race inside the room of her blonde patient. This time when she ran from the room, it was with happy shouts of "He's awake!" and Doctor Yamakishi's name echoing off the walls.

She did not see the human-sized shadow in the corner of Naruto's room flicker away behind a camouflage jutsu.

~I I I~

Inu, Neko and the Sandaime entered Naruto's new room amid a flurry of activity. Naruto had been pushed forward with three to four stethoscopes pressed to each side of his body. He flinched every time a new one was plastered to his bareback. Those metal disks were _cold! _The three nin swore they saw one pressed to the sole of his left foot at one point. At their entry, a very weary Uzumaki Naruto, one side of his head still wrapped like a mummy, looked with a pleading puppy dog eye to his Jiji for help - any sort of help - to make the crazy stop.

It took the Hokage clearing his throat very loudly … twice… to get Yamakishi-san to notice him and explain the medical frenzy.

"I take it by your smile, Doctor, your betting pool ended satisfactorily?" Doctor Yamakishi's resultant grin threatened to swallow his ears.

"Hai! Hai! It would appear our 'esteemed' colleagues are 'thoroughly' verifying our claim." The arguing between med nins and nursing staff trying to find some sort of puppet jutsu in order to disprove the claim was winding down.

It all came to an abrupt halt when the boy's stomach growled loud enough to rattle the flower jar on his nightstand. Without a request, Nurse Tamako dashed from the room with promises of a good meal for her very strong patient.

As disgruntled medical staff were shuffled away from the boy's bed and out the door by protective med nins, by way of depositing bands of Ryu notes into a mysterious bowl held by another very happy nurse, Nurse Tamako returned with a cart steaming with a large bowl of miso soup, a half dozen hard-boiled boiled eggs, four rice balls, pickles, some mild green tea, and a pitcher of water. Her eyes melted as the boy dug in as best he could, hands shaking due to weakness and gratitude. Eyes brimming with tears, the sniffling nurse helped him as best she could.

It wasn't long before his body began to resume normal functions and the weakened boy needed to be helped to the private bathroom for release. Yamakishi-san turned to the Hokage while the boy was indisposed.

"We will need to discuss the eye issue before too long. At the rate he is recovering, this will need to be done before the end of the week."

The Sandaime nodded sagely, fingers stroking his wispy beard while his eyes focused on some distant point beyond the horizon.

"Tomorrow doctor. Let the boy have one day of peace before we torment him anew." The two nodded with grim expressions. This would not be a pleasant discussion.

Normal ablutions and feeding out of the way, Naruto returned to his bed, pausing just long enough to hug Nurse Tamako as hard as his weakened arms could muster, he all but collapsed back into bed. At least now he could focus on the next round of information without his bladder screaming at him or his stomach shaking the furniture.

Doctor Yamakishi informed him that he would be his physician from now on. As an added bonus, he introduced the hospital staffers that fought so hard to save the boy's life. Even the retired ones made a brief return to welcome him back from Shinigami's lair. It was a very emotional reunion and Naruto hugged each and every one of them.

It was also very, very pointless. A traditional effort in futility.

It's not that Naruto was ungrateful. On the contrary, he was sublimely aware of the toil that went into saving his life. His gratitude was heartfelt, and their kindness was well-received. It's just that he was cognizant of the trauma the retirees suffered because of, not just his, but of a cumulative career of death and trauma.

His pain was just the icing on the proverbial cake. The fly in the fruit basket so to speak.

Simple fact of the matter was that a handful of loving people in a hateful village of thousands can wear on you. It can begin to sap away at your soul, wearing away at the foundation of whatever sick mantra you can erect to bulwark your existence versus the never-ending stream of hate. At some point, you must wonder when enough becomes enough?

At six years of age, Naruto was growing tired of the charade. He was growing tired of the on-going lie. It was getting harder to keep the happy-go-lucky persona up, especially with his mental blockage removed, and being told earlier that the majority of the folks that had attacked him would virtually walk free once _clan justice_ was finished with them, just enraged him all the more.

The only clan member that would have to face any repercussions came from a lesser clan with no bloodlines run by a highly upstanding clan lead employed by the Torture and Investigations Unit in Konohagakure no Sato. It would be tough to avoid that. The rest just did not care so Naruto was tired of being the only one that did.

Jiji was strong but he couldn't do everything.

That tidbit of information was tough to digest. Even the news that he would officially attend the ninja academy when he left the civilian school did little to raise his spirits.

It would give him the means to defend himself and he looked forward to that with vengeful glee. This meant no more running and hiding.

As the last well-wisher departed, none of them noticed the bright, cheery smile fade into frustration and anger, his eye turning away from the fresh trays of food (he had moved up to a bowl gyudon with steamed rice and pickled ginger garnish and a broth-filled egg soup) and stared out the cheery window with bitterness and revenge creeping into the edges of his heart.

No humans noticed… but Kyuubi did and she smiled from deep within her dark prison.

~I I I~

* * *

Konoha was peaceful. Konoha was resting. All throughout the village still recovering from the destruction of a recent monster invasion, concerned families lulled their children to sleep with stories of the Yondaime Hokage and how he defeated the Nine-Tailed Demon. From house to house, street to street, the village breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Slumbering in the relative safety of his hospital room, his ANBU detail not more than seven meters away, Naruto snored quietly in the deep sleep of the unencumbered. Curtains drawn, the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the flickering lights of medical equipment provided the only background noise.

The hospital slept, a behemoth of alabaster stucco and armor-like sheets of glass on every side.

Into this peace crept unseen hands, dark figures about dark business. Toru rose from the darkened shadows of the child's room, his eyes flickering frantically from what he knew now to be the sleeping jinchuuriki and the statuesque female standing next to him. He gulped quietly, his body hunched and his voice a ragged whisper as he awaited her next command.

The tall woman emerging from the dark recesses next to him stood taller than most of the humans scurrying about the village, her shoulders clearing his near one hundred seventy-eight-centimeter frame. Where he was lean, she was lithe, slim of build and supple like a ballerina. Her Long silver hair matched her flowing robes even with the very human blue highlights she added this time around to match the fragile weave. He knew better than to affix his eyes on the open neckline that hovered before his vision even if her slim build offered nothing beyond a bony chest. She was just into her third tail, also silver trimmed as they swayed gracefully behind her, but that didn't matter as his station as a lowly male kept her firmly above him as the Matron's eldest daughter.

Her sharp golden eyes flickered down to the bowing and scraping male with clear disgust and impatience.

With a quick bob of his head and shoulders, Toru padded silently to the door and released just enough chakra to engage the privacy seal, doing so that it built up slowly over thirty seconds. He sighed quietly once the shell activated soundproofing the room without alerting the sentries. When he turned to nod that it was done, the silver-crowned head turned from him to the sleeping boy, her ears laying back as she bared her canines and stepped to the bed's edge.

She was clearly displeased with the boy's current condition. As it was, he looked mostly dead.

"There can be no error here, Toru-kun." Her voice was a whisper, but he flinched as if about to be struck. As her voice was without inflection, a person unfamiliar would never have perceived her irritation. It was disturbing how she had gleaned that particular habit from her mother. You never really knew where you stood with her until it was too late.

"Hai, Himedoro-sama." Toru's head never fully raised above the level of her navel. "I have heard from my position within the Leaf that their leaders discuss the boy, most with disdain. They long to slay the child and destroy the demon within… as they call her."

The regal Kitsune hissed and the placating male raised his palms to ward off impending pain.

"Hai, Himedoro-sama! I merely repeat was is said to enlighten our clan as to his life within the village walls." His head indicated the sleeping boy.

She flashed him another disgusting look before her right hand flicked open with the sound of several blades clicking into place. Toru paled immediately.

"My… Lady, if I may?" He paused as she looked down on him dangerously. Since she did not readily slice open his throat, he pressed on.

"I do not believe that killing this one achieves our desired end." She paused to glower at his interruption.

"Explain."

Toru glanced nervously at the talon tips on her right hand. He had felt their pain before and was in no hurry to do so again.

"Two reasons M'Lady. First, the Death Reaper seal used to seal Hikari-dono into the boy ties her spirit to the vessel's." Her golden eyes narrowed in disbelief. "While I have not had time to fully study the complete matrix," he lifted the boy's shirt and whispered, "Reveal!" while passing his hand a finger's breadth over Naruto's stomach making the outline pulse briefly into view, "…I have devoted time to confirming that this child's death will take Hikari-dono to the Shinigami as well."

Inside the seal, Kyuubi shivered and felt something… familiar.

Himedoro leaned over and placed her face mere centimeters from the truly magnificent creation. She never had the same facility as her mother with _fūin,_ but she knew enough and could appreciate something that was clearly beyond her ken.

"Second reason Mistress, I have found supporting documentation in the hall of records to positively conclude that this child is the son of the _Gōruden Ryokō-sha_." The female Kitsune's sharp intake of breath brought goosebumps to the boy's stomach while her eyes grew very round and her head swiveled to stare at the clearly insane male.

"Does Matron know?"

Toru only shook his head negatively, his now frightened eyes fixed on something beyond her increasingly confused face.

"**Find something you like, Hi-chan?"**

_'Ah, that would explain it.'_

The voice coming from the boy was feminine and enhanced by chakra. It did not sound remotely human. The Matron's second swiveled her head one-hundred eighty degrees and stared into the lone red eye that met her own. The red chakra rising smoke like from the orb told her that the boy was not in control.

"Hika-chan." The second oldest straightened and brushed her robes smooth though there were no wrinkles to be found. "I see it's true. You managed to get yourself trapped into a human."

"**There is considerably more to it than that, but the question now is to what do I owe this pleasure?"**

Himedoro feigned pain even as she straightened her spine. "You wound me, sister. Can I not visit my beloved?"

"**We were never close. Now leave please and forget that you found me."**

"Oh, but we cannot do that dear sister. While I lack the skills to remove you safely, I am sure Mother can. The bride price has been paid after all. We wouldn't want the Raitoninguhāsu clan to feel cheated, now would we?"

Deep inside the seal, Kyuubi shuddered. That lone eye narrowed, the heated chakra beginning to rise to the ceiling.

"Never fear… sister. We will return once Mother has found a way to extract you at this wretch's expense." The elegant Kitsune brushed the back of her hand against Naruto's cheek as she leaned in full of malice. "Never fear."

The silver daughter backed away from the bed and faded into the shadows at the edge of the room followed a half step behind by a clearly frightened Toru, him bowing and scraping to the bed-ridden figure as he shadow-stepped after his mistress.

Kyuubi frowned at this development. She would need to activate one of her contingency plans.

~I I I~

* * *

The next day brought another round of frantic discovery. Laying on the surgery table, Naruto was trying to make sense of the excited voices, heated arguments, and warm bodies pressed against his tiny form. More importantly, he was trying to suck in as much oxygen as he could with Nurse Miko's breasts smothering his mouth and nose while he was helplessly strapped to the table (to prevent movement during surgery).

Surgery wasn't supposed to be like this. He was told it was a serious, sedate affair with shiny objects, sponges, sutures, and sometimes forceps. Isn't that what they always asked for in those television shows the grocery store wives watched? All he knew was that he was awake, he was cold, and people were talking about cutting off parts of his body he was very much attached to and wanted to keep.

The morning started with a brief discussion involving Naruto, the Third Hokage, Doctor Yamakishi, the Anesthesiologist, Nurse Tamako (who had a tray filled with little eyes of different colors all sitting in tiny, clear, liquid-filled bowls), and Nurse Miko – a younger nurse very much smitten with his one extremely blue eye and whisker marks; she kept stroking his cheeks and, while pleasant, kept sending shivers down his spine making him feel funny and purr… which made her squeal every time. Naruto was sorely disappointed to discover in this meeting of the minds that they couldn't match his natural eye color and was hesitant to choose another.

Bitterness did not begin to accurately describe it. From this day forward, every time he looked in a mirror he would be reminded of the jerk that took his eye and got away with it. It figures that the Hyuuga in the bunch would make it personal about the eyes. The jackass hadn't even tried to pierce his brain – he'd stabbed him through the eyelid just enough to destroy the eye itself. Naruto vaguely remembered the sensation of the kunai twisting in the socket and shivered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought he heard growling.

Shrugging it off, Naruto plastered his best fakest grin on his face and picked a pair of sickly yellow orbs. Adding injury to insult, he wanted a matching pair. If he was going to be reminded of the attack every day, then so would everyone else.

Besides… they kind of looked like wolf eyes. Wolves were cool.

The Hokage looked pained.

Both nurses were gently rubbing his back as they laid him down to prep for the surgery. All of the support staff came in and took their places. He remembered being asked to count backwards from one hundred while a pair of hands touched him at the base of his skull and covered his eyes. At about what would be seventy-three, he felt the familiar tug at the back of his head and things started to fade to black. Just as he appeared in the familiar square pool of murky sewer water, he felt a strange buzzing sensation that vibrated his head. Then things got weird.

The tunnel faded out before he took two steps away from the pool ramp. He awoke and blinked both eyes in confusion, the right eye feeling like it had been run under a tap or something. It hadn't quite registered that his head was now unwrapped, his eye having been thoroughly rinsed with saline to clear away caked blood and detritus. The intent was to inspect the socket and begin preparing the eyes for transplants.

What Doctor Yamakishi found was a fully functional eye identical to the undamaged one. Apparently, human eyes didn't just grow back on their own. Who knew?

By the time Naruto began to register more than his damaged eye being undamaged, the doctor's penlight began blinding him as they pried his now undamaged eyelid open. Before he knew it, more and more of those annoying hateful medical people had begun to show up and were suggesting questionable science experiments. The clear majority of them were advocating chopping off more body parts to see what would grow back and what would not.

One wanted to see if he could survive neutering. They were so curious about it they mentioned it twice.

It was the demon brat after all. Wasn't he the expendable property of Konoha? Surely the Hokage would allow experimentation if it could save the lives of other shinobi.

Cue Nurse Miko's bosom being smushed into young Naruto's face while she and Nurse Tamako tried desperately to protect the prone boy with their bodies. Tamako-chan had flopped herself across his midsection while Miko-chan was desperately shaking her head back and forth while pulling Naruto's head into her cleavage. The back and forth motion of her body brought a healthy red to Naruto's cheeks just as another doctor wanted to test the survivability of the boy's reproductive organs yet again. The muffled shriek from our blonde _jinchuuriki_ caught Miko-chan's attention and, with a healthy burst of shame, she shifted her tightly-clad bosom from his face (so he could breathe) to the side of his neck and shoulder.

Not understanding the true nature of his blush, she was hoping to defend the rest of his body parts while oxygen returned his natural skin tone. She successfully managed one of her two objectives, but we'll give her an "A" for effort.

Naruto was almost disappointed that he wasn't going to get a pair of wolf eyes. The rest of the encounter petered out as Yamakishi-san chased the annoying doctors away.

With the initial excitement of the "magically-growing eyeball" out of the way, Naruto quickly settled back into normal recovery mode. This included boring mornings eating hospital food, which he loved as it was better than he could get on his own, and afternoon walks with Miko-chan, which made him nervous due to the caustic looks from other hospital staffers and villagers.

No one tried anything with Miko-chan nearby and he needed the exercise on bright sunny days, even bundled up as he was in the cool weather. The exercise was therapeutic. Stretching dormant muscles felt good. It was disturbing how much a body could hurt after lying still for so long. He just needed to move.

As an added bonus, whenever he walked and stayed outside for longer than thirty minutes, Miko-chan would squeal and hug him smashing his face into her chest. She was very warm plus her chest was very soft. He found that he liked the sensation of close physical contact. As a bonus, no one had ever shown excitement or given him praise for making any sort of progress and he found this refreshing. It made him want to work harder and stay out as long as Nurse Miko could spare time for. Plus, those hugs from Miko-chan were extra nice and she seemed to enjoy giving them an awful lot, so he happily obliged her.

He was beginning to enjoy the warmth, the closeness, and the flowery smell. When he asked her what that nice smell was, she blushed and muttered something about daylilies. That became Naruto's favorite flower once she explained what they were to him.

Oddly enough, he began to wonder if this was what it was like to have a mother or a big sister. Was this how families treated one another?

~I I I~

* * *

"We have no choice now. News of the boy's recovery has already spread."

Monkey turned to the taciturn Rooster. "It will be difficult to do what you ask over such a prolonged period."

"We have no choice. They are already planning to finish the job before he can be enrolled."

Dragon looked up from their vantage point inside the head of the Yondaime Hokage, the stone eye sockets providing an excellent outlook to gaze over the village. Only the seals warding the obvious passageways kept the vagrant out.

Different seals entirely were used to keep shinobi out.

Below the quiet village pulsed with the life of its citizens. Thousands of people meandered about their day blissfully unaware of the struggle going on under their very noses. Mothers walked hand-in-hand with small children as they went about their daily errands. Hawkers pawned their wares upon the passerby. Shops opened up to the daily rhythm that was Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

It made him nauseous to think that this undercurrent of poison existed in the hearts of the vast majority of its citizens, each willing to lash out if they had the opportunity to lay hands upon the young jinchuuriki.

"He is not as alone as he once was."

Tiger was incredulous. "You cannot believe that the demon will keep its word?"

"I am told that it will. The beast wants to live and, if the host dies, so does the bijou. It is in the creature's best interest to keep the game afoot, for lack of a better term." Tiger was not so convinced.

"Until it finds a way to escape," he muttered.

"We will have to see. Not much to be done until it tries something regardless," Dragon countered.

"Phase Two then?" Monkey apparently wanted to move on to other things. He kept glancing out the right eye socket almost casually despite the urgency in his body posture.

"Phase Two." Dragon nodded then body flickered away. One by one, they all flickered away.

~I I I~


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Next chapter slightly ahead of schedule to make up for being a touch late on the last one.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Two If By Kitsune**

~I I I~

* * *

Since the time of her birth and her subsequent emergence into Hanyou status, Ginkōtaigō Kurogarinumatani had been the spitting image of regality. She carried herself with dignity and polish even during her first century as a speechless pup. Even now as she stood upon the dais of her clan's place of power with her body trembling in the throes of rage, she exuded royal presence.

Tall and slim of build like all her clan, the metallic highlights to her silver hair and fur gleamed brightly in the dimming light of day. The blue-silver orbs nestled in the smooth plane of her face pinched in displeasure, even sparkled majestically, as her seven tails writhed back and forth behind her slender frame.

She was bred to rule. In her very bones, she knew this. It seemed, however, that her ears were having a disagreement with her mind as they listened to her first-born and second eldest tell her of Hikari-chan's celestial imprisonment inside of a human child, a _boy_ child no less. It was news she did not wish to entertain.

It was news she would not, _could_ _not_ tolerate.

Looking around for a male to thrash as she vented her displeasure, her eyes settled once again on Toru, the last male of her clan, and sighed. If she killed him in a fit of rage she would have no one left to send hither and yon and she would not risk her precious daughters. They held binding powers of alliance and could not be so carelessly risked.

With a pitiful sigh, she let the moment pass until his nervous eyes began to flicker about without permission.

As she once again reconsidered removing Toru's head from his shoulders, Himedoro moved to rest on her smaller seat next to her mother's throne.

"You saw this seal, Hime-chan?" Her eyes never left her somewhat competent son, never turned to fully address her daughter by blood.

The younger golden-eyed clone of the powerful Kitsune performed a seated bow. "Hai, 'Kaa-san. It is beyond my meager skill in sealing to decipher and is of exquisite complexity and design."

The Shadow Matron nodded once and focused her fury on her most reliable, and only remaining, male child and sighed. She could not stay angry, not truly, as he had succeeded where all others had failed her. He finally found their wayward Hikari-chan even if it was in the clutches of evil human men.

It was always _men_.

They would need to free her at some point.

The older figure with the aged perfection of a woman in her late twenties sauntered down the four steps of her dais, each slippered foot ringing loudly in the Kitsune male's high-functioning ears until she stopped with the top of his head nearly resting against her knees. Toru clenched his teeth and focused with all his might on the pointed toes of her footwear.

"You are _certain_ of his lineage?"

Toru knew exactly to whom she was speaking, the tone and timbre of her voice indicating her desire.

"Hai, 'Kaa-sama. It is undeniable among the humans." He took a shuddering breath before continuing. "Their leader, the Hokage, asked me to hide the records in a new location just last week."

The brief silence that followed his declaration was unnerving and poor Toru began to fear for the worst. When her hands clamped down on either side of his head, Toru's eyes snapped closed as he whispered a quick prayer to Kami asking forgiveness for his failures in this life.

As his head was slowly lifted from his view of the floor, he flinched when something soft touched his forehead. Not nearly brave enough to open his eyes just yet, he waited until he heard her soft feet traveling along the dais steps before he opened them making sure that the ground at his boot was all he focused on. When they opened, and he saw no blood, he began to breathe again albeit in short panting breaths.

"Well done, Toru. Return to your post and continue to study the vessel. I will confer with the scholars to see what can be done with the seal. Be sure to send as detailed a drawing as you can."

Recognizing the dismissal, Toru bowed until his forehead kissed the cold stone and body flickered still in that position to the nearest portal reconnecting him to the human world.

One did not press their good fortune with the Shadow Kitsune Matron.

~I I I~

* * *

Naruto was standing in front of his window, his only outlet other than a scheduled hour of wandering around the hospital park this afternoon with Miko-chan. Absent was the goofy smile that made his eyes disappear instead replaced by a neutral mask of contemplation.

Jiji had already left and told him that his entry into the ninja academy would have to wait until he completed his civilian education. This would put him into the academy fall after next meaning he had a year and a half before he could start his dream. He wasn't happy about it, but it made sense as he didn't have a clan or family to teach him the basics prior to the academy.

It still sucked. It sucked quite a bit.

_Neko_-nee-chan came by a short while after that saying that she would take him on a shopping spree once he was closer to entry into the academy. It didn't make sense to buy shinobi clothes now only to throw them out later because he outgrew them. They could take care of all that next year.

It made sense the longer he thought about it, but it also entailed more suckage since his clothes, the ones he wore now, had been destroyed when those bastards trashed his apartment - Inu had let him know about his home. Naruto huffed out a heavy sigh. When he mentioned that, Neko-chan giggled stating that she had a pleasant surprise for him when they left the hospital. The boy only raised an eyebrow in response.

It did little to alleviate his sour thoughts on his short life in Konoha.

First off, now that he had the mental ability to evaluate key events from his brief past he also had the ability to realize that he'd been, and would most likely continue to be, robbed blind by the merchants that claimed over and over again how they were doing him such favors in the bargains they offered. Time and time again, images of milk past its expiration date and overly ripe produce made his face bunch up in painful grimaces. It was a miracle that he hadn't died from food poisoning before the attack that nearly took his life. The more he thought about it, the more reason he had to be thankful to Kyuubi-chan.

As he looked fondly down at the area of his stomach where the seal rested, the hospital garments he wore brought his thoughts to the other reason that nagged at the back of his mind constantly; his bright orange jumpsuits that he loved so much, mostly out of ignorance, now made more sense post-attack.

He had been sold on them by a particularly nasty vendor saying that he needed clothes cheap enough, durable enough, and roomy enough that they would allow him to grow and not need to be replaced every year. Never mind that they stood out in any crowd like a bright neon orange beacon. No wonder he couldn't escape those mobs that night.

He literally glowed in the dark.

That was just one glowing example of how people tried to sabotage his development, his shoddy school education just adding more bitter pickle juice in the crappy tea that constituted his life.

The more he thought back on his interactions with Konoha villagers, the angrier he got and the more his gaze hardened. Eyes…

The flash of a kunai shot through his mind's eye and he shivered to shake it off.

On the bright side, he still had his original eyes. So far, he hadn't seen anyone else with better even considering the platinum blonde Yamanaka Clan and their sky-blue peepers. His face contorted into another scowl (a disturbingly frequent habit lately) as thoughts of Yamanaka Rikuto popped unwelcomed into his mind.

That bastard wasn't even sorry for what he did but he'd get his soon enough. Kyuubi had promised that much. They all would. First, however, he had a lot of work to do starting with his release in three days.

Naruto's fingers idly played with a tangled mess of yarn compliments of Nurse Tamako. It was a child's game, one he'd seen other kids play when he was smaller being a whopping six years old now, but Kyuubi had wanted him to begin working on his fingers making them faster and stronger. She had mentioned watching his mother, Kushina, doing similar exercises when she was much smaller, the benefit being increased manual dexterity and finger strength. When they were free of the hospital, she also wanted him to find some rubber balls, playing cards, and a few other items, all of which would go to increasing his manual dexterity.

Naruto mentally shrugged and began unknotting the string for the fifth time.

The fact that they "talked" more often now helped to pass the time. His new link with her allowed them to share thoughts mentally without the mindscape but it tended to make him appear as "zoned out" forcing others to pester him until he responded. They tried to be sparing about it when he wasn't visiting her.

Deep inside he had to admit that it was becoming his favorite hangout spot (Kyuubi was there after all) but it left his physical body unprotected. Given how much everyone hated him that was something neither of them could afford to let him do too often and never in public. It was just too risky.

Mornings between breakfast and lunch were spent in his mindscape with Kyuubi working on core academics. All he had to do was pretend to nap until they were done. He was impressed by his ability to recall information, often whole pages of information simply by closing his mind and calling up the book or scroll mentally. He was also very disappointed with what he discovered were large amounts of information from his distant class days that were incomplete or intentionally misleading. It was almost as if someone wanted him to be ignorant his whole life.

He tried not to dwell on that. No more "_special bargains" _on school books from now on either. He understood on a fundamental level that his relationship with his home was flawed in many ways encouraging this level of on-going sabotage, perhaps even to a degree beyond his capability to repair without assistance. He would have to cultivate the few positive relationships he had and take others as they developed.

It was during one of those morning study sessions that Naruto altered his relationship with the nine-tailed vixen with his usual aplomb and heartfelt honesty.

He had been reviewing feudal history and opened one of the many textbooks that now sat upon the many bookshelf rows in his dreary mindscape. The book showed cutaway architecture drawings and beautifully-detailed photos of castles surrounded by cherry blossoms and rock gardens. After spending an hour studying the text carefully, the boy looked up at his demon sensei and stared for several minutes into her ruby orbs.

Kyuubi blinked once, then twice, opening her mouth to ask if she had something on her face as the boy pointedly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. At that moment, his mindscape changed, the walls and ground flowing away from their study area, the dingy grays and browns bleeding into Cherrywood flooring in a large central room with rice paper walls and sliding shoji panels framed in the same luxurious dark cherry tones.

The bars of her cage, those imposing and unyielding titans of metal, withdrew into the floor without a trace. As they faded, golden kanji symbols appeared along the band of her choker matching seals that appeared above the doors to the room.

The room was easily forty meters across with high ceilings made from more of the dark timber beams. Heavy columns inscribed with runes and symbols lined both sides of the rooms. Where he sat, the entrance into this room was just off to his right, his quadrant of the room converted into a place of study with his desk, easel, bookshelves, and other requirements. There were door panels on each of the other walls, large double panels with kanji placards above the door panels for the word "seal" that used to hang above her bars, which were now wonderfully absent.

In the center of the room rose a platform made of more cherry wood, a squared dais surrounded with three steps. In the center of the platform lay a traditional table with mats for kneeling on opposite sides. Sunken into the wood to the left of the table lay a small fire pit with a teapot resting on metal grating.

The other three quadrants of the room had shelves available to hold more literature, but nothing planned for space. Overall, the room exuded warmth and sinful luxury.

Kyuubi was stunned, her jaw hanging open as she spun in circles to take it all in.

Naruto frowned once more to really concentrate and focused on the opposite corner of the room. The bookshelves there vanished, and a large fireplace spiraled open from the wall. Above the hearth, tendrils of vines snaked their way up along the wall to form a mahogany picture frame three meters in height while smaller tendrils danced and weaved their way inside the frame. When it was complete, a charcoal sketch of Kyuubi seated on an ornate chair swirled into view with Naruto standing just behind and over her left shoulder, one hand resting on the gentle slope of her trapezius. The picture was done in the style of Michelangelo Buonarotti, a shadowed charcoal drawing with most of the detail shown in their faces. The detail was exquisite enough to clearly indicate the two subjects.

Beneath the picture, just a few meters from the warming fire, blossomed a circular mattress a meter thick and ten meters in diameter made of crimson velvet resting on a cherry wood platform. The silken sheets were made of gold with a burgundy comforter to snuggle under. To the right of the bed nestled next to the wall sat a human-sized privacy screen with soaring cranes and prancing foxes.

Kyuubi tried desperately to steady her breathing as she turned to her jailer, eyes wide in shock. Naruto merely smiled (the first honest one in his entire life), rose from his desk, then approached the powerful demon to kiss her on the forehead.

As a result, Kyuubi blinked and turned a shade of red that almost matched her hair.

Before her gaping could get any worse, Naruto hugged her, laid his right cheek against hers and said, "You have lifted the darkness from my eyes. I thought it only fair that I share some of that light with you."

At that, she melted in his arms.

The boy released her and went back to his desk to finish reading his interesting book on the ancient Edo period. Kyuubi had been shocked into paralysis never once returning the hug as she stared intently at the child before her.

His mind was too young to work this way. Most kids his age "played ninja" and chased each other in the park with sticks. Then again, most kids his age were not dodging angry mobs or assassins by their sixth year either. No, his innocence was lost long ago and his mind, now unencumbered by limiters, was beginning to catch up with his already much older soul.

Kyuubi mourned this realization… then set about exploring her new home with a happy titter. She squealed like a fangirl when she opened one of the side doors and saw the exquisite rock garden complete with koi pond and sakura trees. Her statue of Naruto rested on a marble platform in the middle of the pond.

She nearly went back in to kiss the boy when she opened the other side door to see the large meadow complete with forest a few hundred yards off in the distance. The wildlife scampering about made her heart race with a long-forgotten thrill.

Being a prisoner with this host might not be such a bad thing after all.

~I I I~

A gentle buzzing interrupted his study session. With a smile and a quick nod, Kyuubi sent him on his way, his vision clearing to see a gloved hand waving up and down in front of his face. Naruto apologized sheepishly to Inu who waved it off seeing as the boy was clearly lost in deep thought. Naruto gave another sheepish smile to the Hokage and quickly detached his hands from the yarn looped around his fingers. Inu raised an eyebrow behind his mask at this but made no outward comment.

"Naruto," the boy focused on the old man, "we'll be sending a message to Jiraiya that you're being released from the hospital soon. You should know that he will be wanting to visit with you upon his next visit."

Without missing a beat, Naruto responded listlessly with, "Hai, Ojii-ossan."

As unenthused as the boy sounded, he did perk up when Inu bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood, ran quickly through a series of five hand signs and then slammed his palm on the floor. A ring of kanji symbols linked into a circle fanned out from his feet, then condensed into a cloud of smoke. What appeared in the smoke was a small dog wearing a blue jacket and googles.

Naruto blinked a few times in shock.

Inu reached into a pocket and handed the dog a small scroll with instructions to, "_…deliver this to the toad sannin._" The dog responded in a very deep voice with, "Hai!" before clamping down gently on the scroll and vanishing in another poof of smoke.

Naruto blinked three more times in rapid succession.

The dog-faced ANBU stood up again and looked down into the shocked face of Uzumaki Naruto. "You okay Naruto?"

Naruto nodded his head very slowly. "Yes, but I'll be even better if you show me those hand signs again." _Inu_ chuckled softly.

"Sure, I can show you again, but it won't do you any good unless you have a summoning contract and those are difficult to come by."

Naruto shrugged it off. Ten minutes later he was going over the quick five-seal sequence again and again until it was engrained into his mind. Over the next three days in the hospital, he would have it to an almost reflexive response.

He could always get Kyuubi to teach him how to manipulate chakra for the summons after the fact.

~I I I~

Afternoons were spent on physical training…when he could get away with it. Hospital staff once found him doing sit-ups and pushups and the scolding and "tsking" had been truly monumental.

Since physical development didn't stick with him in the mindscape, the best he could do was to learn how to mold chakra and meditate, two things Kyuubi said he needed desperately to improve upon, but he had no other way to contain the overabundance of energy stockpiling in his limbs.

Everyone knew Naruto was a walking dynamo. The boy had so much energy he nearly vibrated in place if he sat still too long. Naruto attributed this to his normally cheery disposition and most believed him. Kyuubi attributed this to his abnormally large chakra coils and chakra reserves, which were always overflowing thanks to her periodically flooding his chakra network while he slept. His fun meter virtually stayed pegged on full.

Kyuubi figured it was about time to teach him how to tap into those vast pools of energy and they had almost a year and a half to get prepared.

She explained the nature of chakra and it's four sources, mind, body, spirit (thanks to her) and nature. The first three he had ready access to but needed to be developed. The fourth had to be trained in by specialists as overexposure was lethal (despite some Kitsune being naturally able to tap into it with limited success). Only the toads of Mount Myoboku regularly engaged in its use making their toad sages extremely rare and exceptionally dangerous.

Kyuubi was quick to shut down his fevered dreams of becoming the next toad mega-sage; overusing nature chakra tended to turn you to stone.

Naruto gulped and swore to focus on his primary three and, if he could get a chance to train on Mount Myoboku, then he would do so. As it was, Naruto already had huge reserves of chakra thanks to Kyuubi's effect on his body.

Early attempts at corralling his uncooperative chakra ended up with his mindscape avatar spontaneously combusting or ethereal shoji panels being blown apart. One "accident" even blew Kyuubi's yukata clear off her body resulting in an indignant squeak followed by a frantic scramble to get behind the changing screen.

The fierce blush tomatoing his entire head at the sight of her bare bottom nearly floored him.

After apologizing to the Kyuubi from the other side of the screen and repairing the mindscape damage, they decided it was a nice day "outside" and that they needed to train in the meadow before the forest.

Kyuubi made sure to stay behind him so she didn't lose any more yukatas.

So long as her clothes stayed on, the basics of his chakra control went fairly well. He learned how to feel for his chakra, how to pull it down into his _hara,_ the core of his body, and either trickle or flood it to different parts of his body. He had already mastered entering a meditative state, the ability to enter and depart his mindscape at will and was trying to funnel minuscule amounts of chakra to his ears when he heard sniffling and soft-slippered footsteps approaching his door.

Cutting off the flow of chakra, he spun his body to face the door to the hallway and waited.

Doctor Yamakishi, Nurse Tamako, Nurse Miko, and Neko-nee-chan entered his room not a minute later. The sniffling was coming from the two nurses.

Naruto was touched by their tears. With the exuberance of the average six-year-old, he hopped off the bed and ran to Tamako-chan's waiting embrace. Breaking away slowly, he moved over to Miko-chan and repeated the tender farewell trying to ignore the annoying way the woman's breasts rested on his forehead. She didn't seem to mind so he tried not to draw attention to it instead stepping back to take the hospital sweats offered by the good Doctor.

Kyūbi, the only one partial to his inner thoughts, chuckled at his annoyance – she imagined in another half dozen years when puberty hit he'd be missing that sensation of cushiony pressure on his head or any other part of his body.

With a friendly ruffling of his hair, the doctor turned to leave with his nurses, Neko taking a seat in the room's only chair to wait for him to change clothes.

Naruto's clothes from the night of the attack were shredded. The clothes left in his apartment (along with everything else) had been destroyed so the sweats became a parting gift to the orphan with nothing to return home to. Once changed and released into the bright morning sun, Neko began the process of buying new clothes for her small charge and getting him settled into his "new" place.

Naruto, kind soul that he was, tried to save her a little frustration and warned her as they stood before a gleaming storefront reading "Matsumoto's Fine Apparel." He didn't even mind her helping him with the pronunciation – it was the angry store owner inside he was concerned with.

With the friendly chiming of the bell above the door, a chunky man sporting a tacky, pencil-thin mustache and shiny head lacking any hair that she could see glanced up from his countertop, his eyes squeezing nearly shut as his fake smile spread from ear to ear.

"Ah! Welcome to Matsumo- _WHAT_ are you doing here de- _brat_?! I thought we already addressed this?!"

It must be the masks all too efficient at hiding ANBU facial expressions. Mr. Matsumoto never noticed Neko's eyes narrowing to razor-thin slits behind it but she saw every angry twitch of his sweaty face once Matsumoto Kondo's beady black eyes slid from her ANBU mask to the child's downtrodden whiskers. He was so outraged at the child's presence that he never bothered to note the change in her body posture as she prepared to gut him like a fish at his near slip to the Third's Law.

Matsumoto did notice the gathering of customers in his very popular storefront as they gathered to watch the man "heroically" throw the demon brat out of his store yet again.

"Ne, Neko-nee-chan," Naruto was gently tugging on her cloak, "let's just go. This place doesn't have the kinds of clothes I like anyway."

He was trying to be helpful and end the encounter before things could turn ugly. "Old Man Matsumoto" didn't want to end the show, unfortunately, nor would he allow the "Demon Child of Konoha" to end the encounter with the upper hand, and inhaled a double lungful of air to let loose another verbal tirade at the small child he knew would never lash out at him.

His impending barrage seized up with a tea kettle-like squeak as Neko's standard-issue ninjatō, the blade singing with a high-pitched ringing sound as it hissed through the air, stopped mere millimeters from Matsumoto's neck.

She casually noted the boy's wince as one of his fingers shot up to rub an abused ear and made a mental note to share that discovery with her Hokage.

In the meantime, she turned her attention back to the snarling shopkeeper trying to lean back and away from her blade much to the shocked gasps of his customers and employees. It only spurred on her growing sense of rage despite the even tone of her voice.

"Are you forgetting something?"

Kondo's eyes darted between the ANBU's inhuman mask, her gleaming blade, and the partially-hidden face of the boy standing behind her left hip. He may have gulped nervously but his disdain never faded – he knew his rights under the Council's law.

"I forget nothing! You cannot force me to serve _it_ no matter your station, ANBU-san."

Neko knew he was right despite still wanting in her heart of hearts to gut him like a fish.

"I am not required to serve _it_," he flinched as her grip tightened on the pommel, "and so long as I don't violate the law, you cannot do a thing about it!" He raised his chin smugly in victory despite having backed up as far as he could behind the counter to avoid having his throat sliced open.

With her teeth gnashing beneath the porcelain of her mask, Neko gently reached behind her to grab onto Naruto's shoulder right before they disappeared into a swirl of leaves, which settled calmly to the floor of the owner's shop.

It only took four separate instances after that first unpleasant one, four more owner encounters ending with the ANBU threatening to arrest a civilian vendor, to get him the things he needed. By then, Neko was incensed.

Naruto merely took it as a better than average day.

By the time they reached his apartment, the special Jounin was nearly ready to slit someone's throat with her nails. Naruto thought she was too angry to realize where they were as she exited the stairwell from the highest floor of his apartment building (his old apartment was on the middle floor of the three-story building), turned left and put a shiny set of new keys into the lock. She opened the door and stood off to the side so that he could enter and look around for himself.

"Hokage-sama pulled some strings and moved you to a new place," she started off. "It was becoming too much of a hassle to keep hiring out genin teams to clean your old apartment after drunks and degenerates kept breaking in and trashing it." Naruto smirked just a little.

"No one is to know that you live up here now and ANBU are to increase their patrolling of this area."

Naruto didn't say a word to dissuade her. Doubling nothing still meant nothing so, as far as he was concerned, he was still on his own. He'd have to be careful about protecting his new home though and the first thing he noted was the reinforced door with extra locks.

Those would come in handy.

His new apartment was basically two apartments joined as one with the dividing wall knocked out. It was a nice touch. The wooden floors weren't super high quality, but they were sturdy and recently stained and polished. The kitchens had been joined into one with a large island, complete with smaller sink and hanging pots and pans in the middle plus a real stove instead of the sad hotplate in his last place. The bathrooms had also been joined to save plumbing costs but what was once a tiny shower closet now had a two-person _onsen_ for steaming. To wrap it all up, the bedroom of the second apartment had his new bed and amenities; the living room near the door had been changed into a living room and small corner study. If he added an easel, it would be similar to his corner in Kyuubi's new cell.

He could hear her trilling in his mind with delight at the surprise. The Sandaime may have earned a few points of respect in her book with this gift.

Neko closed the door as she entered and handed him the keys. After they dumped his purchases in the bedroom, she walked him through the apartment, showed him the restocked kitchen and pointed to a list on the refrigerator of places she found that would sell food to him without trying to screw him over.

Her body stiffened when the blond juggernaut nearly tackled her to the floor in an exuberant hug, his face buried in her stomach while his shoulders shook with his tiny sobs of joy.

She gently rubbed his head until he released her then set about finding out how well off he would be without her.

"Can you cook Naru-kun?"

Naruto pointed to the cereal and instant ramen cups. Despite the cheeky "thumbs up," she blew out a heavy sigh and rolled up her sleeves. It looked like dinner with her new boyfriend would have to wait.

"Not good enough little guy. Twice a week you and I are going to start having some cooking lessons." And so, they did.

By the end of the current school year, Naruto went from complete kitchen novice to a "barely survivable kitchen disaster." At least Neko didn't feel as bad leaving him alone. The fact that he seemed to remember whole recipes without having to refer to books, even correcting a few of her measurements (which she double-checked anyway), greatly reduced her concern.

His freakishly adept talent with kitchen knives did worry her a bit.

He also learned a few helpful things like the fact that he had a bank account in his name. It had been established on the date of his birth and had been receiving regular stipend payments every month. These monthly payments were considerable adding up to a tidy sum after six years – even if he couldn't get into the bank without being thrown out. When questioned about why he wasn't more thrilled about this news, Naruto simply threw the paperwork back into the new fireproof safe buried in the bottom of his closet with a snarl – the very large numbers from the trial compensation brought back unhappy memories.

"So what if you're wealthy if you can't enter shops to spend the money or even get into the bank to get to it?" He'd worry about that later.

Neko blinked at his larger-than-six-year-old vocabulary and decided that information concerning the ongoing campaign of discrimination would need to be brought up with the Hokage.

He also learned that he actually liked real food. Not hard to discover once you've had homecooked food. Oh sure, ramen was still his favorite but now he had access to healthy foods on a regular basis even if it meant traveling a bit for it.

Ramen was cheap, accessible, and required absolutely no talent to make. He looked forward to his cooking lessons with Neko-nee-chan and often apologized for taking her away from her boyfriend, something she routinely and casually dismissed. To make up for it, he spent many hours beforehand pouring over cookbooks and trying new dishes for his nee-chan when she wasn't off on missions and feeling down. This led to a fairly comfortable routine, that is until summer hit, and Neko had to go on an extended patrol.

Resigned to a horrible two-month break, Naruto woke up one day to find his whole existence was going to change.

_**'****Rise and shine sleepy head.'**_ Naruto groaned and stretched.

'_Five more minutes.'_

While the new two-way communication without the dreamscape was nice, it did make things a bit awkward first thing in the morning going through the morning routine. It almost felt like he was being watched.

_'**Sorry Naru-kun,' **_he winced at the nickname,_**'…but we need to take care of a few things today.' **_Naruto grumbled but detached himself from his blanket's mummy-like shroud and stumbled through his morning ablutions. Kyuubi's catcalls in the shower didn't help much.

Once he was done, he flopped down at the desk in his corner office, a fresh cup of tea in his hands and his eyes half awake. Kyuubi's next sentence snapped his pretty blues open like a parachute at four thousand feet.

_**'****Today we summon your den mates.'**_

Naruto froze with the cup still to his lips and, as calmly as he could, set it down on the desk before leaping from his chair and dancing in frantic circles.

_**'****I take it you approve then and I have your atten – NARUTO!'**_

He slammed back into his chair at full attention.

_**'Good. You remember the hand seals for this?' **_A quick nod.

_**'****Don't forget the blood sacrifice.'**_ Another quick nod.

_**'****When you complete the summons, you are going to say, 'Kuchiose no jutsu: Gōruden Tsuinzu!' Can you remember that?' **_Another quick nod followed by happy bouncing in place.

_**'****Sigh…. Alright. You may begin.'**_

Despite the excitement rolling off the boy in waves, he was nervous. Extremely nervous. Kyuubi had hinted to this first summons, this very special summons, as the twins would be forming a very special bond with the new Kitsune summoner. He was to be the equivalent of the Kitsune _Taichou_, their General, just below Kyuubi in rank with regards to the horde of fox summons at his disposal and the Kitsune nation, which by the way quasi-resided on this plane.

Scrolls she had shared even eluded to a rather sizable force of Kitsune warriors bred specifically for war but it would be a while before he had the strength to summon them from the Kitsune plane of existence. No, his first summons would be special, but she hadn't said how special or what that would entail. So, he was understandably nervous.

He began to build up chakra in his hara, located in the pit of his stomach, until she chirped in his mind that he should have enough for the summons. Peripherally, he could feel the warmth spreading out from his seal as he did this, a sensation he'd learn to associate with Kyūbi mixing her special blend of chakra and youki with his own.

Naruto nodded once then bit open his left thumb spreading the blood across his right palm before firing off the five hand seals chanting, _"Ino, Inu, Saru, Tori, Hitsuji,"_ and parroting, [_Kuchiose no jutsu:_ _Gōruden Tsuinzu!_]

Slamming his palm into the floor (and secretly happy that no one else lived in the building), Naruto watched the runes shoot out in a circular pattern for three meters before erupting in a cloud of golden smoke. Since it wasn't clearing out right away, he walked over to the stove and turned on the fan to help pull the smoke out. When he finally turned around, the sight awaiting him took his breath away.

Bowing on the floor were two full-grown women in different modes of dress, one in a dark blue kimono and white obi trimmed in white and pink sakura petals, her golden blonde hair fanning out on the floor in waves of silk. Her long ears of soft golden fur, tipped in black, matched the two extremely fluffy tails waving gently from the back of her…. wait… _what?!_ He blinked and rubbed his eyes and looked again. After pinching his arm…_ow_…. he walked over and squatted down to get a closer look ignoring the suddenly very sleepy sensation he was experiencing.

_He could sleep later, must examine now._

He could tell that she noticed his approach, but her face stayed focus on the floor a hair's breadth from the tip of her nose. That meant she never saw his finger gently stroke her left ear from the base to the tip. The ear twitched slightly but she fought to keep it still as if she was afraid to offend the summoner. The result was that her breath came out in shivers and her body shuddered at his touch.

Naruto had spent some time in those ancient history books and reviewed some of the great periods of art. From the view he had, this Kitsune had a figure to make the great sculptors green with envy. Besides, it was cute the way her tails curled like that.

"Hnh, cute," he giggled out too engrossed in the fact that she had long fox-like ears on the side of her head to notice the surprised twitch of both female's bodies, their eyes flickering over briefly to meet in confusion followed quickly by defensive apprehension.

Oblivious, he hurriedly - but gently, took her hands and asked her to rise. For a young lad not quite aware of female sexuality, the front view was nothing less than spectacular – from a purely artistic perspective.

Her face was almond-shaped and brushed by honey, now with healthy doses of pink slowly fading from her cheeks. Her green eyes were like creamy jade, eyes that never strayed from his face, and the kimono flowed over her very curvy figure. With the initial shock of her ears and tails gone, he turned to the second figure still prostrate on the floor. Gently lifting her from the floor as well, Naruto took stock of both Kitsune females and was rendered speechless.

The second was a touch shorter by perhaps three or four centimeters. She had similar facial features but less oval and more angular. The eyes were the same beautiful shade of creamy jade though. Her clothes were patterned more after some of the shinobi he'd seen and consisted of dark blue trousers that hugged her body and a dark blue flack vest kept closed by hefty snaps and buckles, all of it covering a tight-fitting mesh shirt underneath. It was enough to show a healthy dose of cleavage but secure enough not to move. She had a face mask to cover the lower half of her features but wore it loosely around her neck. She carried a tanto strapped to her back, several pouches around her waist and a thigh holster for shuriken on her right thigh. On her left thigh, she had a mini bandolier holding three kunai within easy reach.

Both wore the same dark blue and open-toed sandals but only the one in the kimono had painted toenails. Oh yeah, they both had the same two tails of downy fur.

"P-P-P-Pretty…very pretty," he whispered out. Then the room grew dark as he fell backwards to land flat on his back, out like a light.

The shorter of the two women turned on the other immediately.

"You said it was _her_ chakra! _THIS_," she paused to gesture with both hands at the unconscious boy, "is _NOT_ Kyūbi-sama!"

The slightly taller and much curvier Tamami pursed her lips in concentration as she evaluated the small (and clearly human) child. It didn't make sense. They were both exposed to the new nine-tailed host not more than two hundred years ago so it couldn't be that she'd forgotten the energy signature so quickly. Besides, she was the only trained sensor of the pair and she was certain that their new liege lady had finally called them. _It finally happened!_

She pointedly did NOT squeal like a small child when the summons came. Nope!

Whatever was going on now made absolutely no sense to either of them.

"Well? What have you gotten us into now, sister? More importantly, how do we get out of it with our tails intact?" She seemed concerned but not panicked despite being trapped in what appeared to be a human village. Humans did not react well to Kitsune... unless they were perverts.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the forests of Taki, a white-maned shinobi traipsing through the greenery in old-fashioned geta sneezed loud enough to send birds into flight across a square kilometer.

* * *

Tamami looked up at her sister in confusion.

"She's in there." Her tone was flat but confident.

"Who? _Who_ is in _where_?" Tatsua was beginning to think her beloved sister was a bit touched in the brain.

"Kyūbi-Ōjo. She's in there," Tamami cheerfully chirped as she squatted down next to the gently snoring boy and poked his stomach. She giggled again when his leg reflexively twitched at the sudden sensation.

Tatsua could only blink in shock. "No, nonononononono… Not possible!" Tamami noted that Tatsua appeared genuinely upset despite the calm certainty of her sibling. "You're absolutely certain she's in _there_?"

Her sister giggled even as she stroked his rounded cheeks drawing out that wonderful purring sound much to her delighted surprise.

"Positive." With a gentle shuffle, the longer-haired fraternal twin lifted the back of his head until his blond mop and shoulders were just as gently settled onto the warmth of her lap, the crown of his head pointed to her stomach.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Tamami looked up with confusion clearly written on her face. "No, I don't _what_? What are you talking about?"

"You are _NOT_ falling in love with it! I'm not going to allow that to happen again just like what happened with that urchin back in Degarashi!

The younger of the two (by two minutes) blushed a bright shade of red.

"You promised to let that go, nee-san." Tamami's voice was soft and sad enough to make the battle-hardened Tatsua wince just a bit. That didn't mean she was going to let up on her soft-hearted sister.

"Normally I would but," she gestured again with both hands to the still unconscious Naruto snoring in her lap, "here we are again! What? Do you just love picking up strays? You can't save every pitiful creature that crosses our path, sis! We need to find her and _soon_. The _Thirteen_ are growing anxious." Tatsua ended her rant and began pacing back and forth, her teeth worrying the nail of her left thumb while her sister idly ran her fingers through the blond's spiky hair.

"_He's_ not an '_It_;' _he's_ the current vessel of the _Kyū_-_bi_." Tamami's emphasis on every syllable was extra clear despite the recalcitrant mumbling of her voice.

"Well, I'm not buying it but I know a way we can confirm it," Tatsua nearly growled out as she drew a kunai from her thigh holster.

Tamami's reaction was immediate as she leaned forward crossing her arms over the defenseless boy's chest hoping to protect him with her own body, her lungs barking out a sharp, "NO!" as she did so.

The buxom Kitsune didn't notice the boy's frame jerk at the sharp sound of her voice nor his hands beginning to twitch as his body reflexively fought to suck in air past the woman's kimono-wrapped bosom smothering his face. Tatsua did and decided some fun was in order.

"What are you honking about, silly goose? I'm not gonna _off_ him." She waved her blade about casually indicating his lower extremities. "I figure I'd stab him somewhere non-vital and see if Kyūbi-sama's chakra healed him." Tamami's indignant rage was making her eyes pop open and her mouth drop lower and lower with each word.

"What, Tama-chan? You don't approve?" She was trying to hide her smirk as her sister gasped like a dying fish.

"How _dare_ you- _HWAAAH_!"

Right about that moment, poor Tamami's face blushed a brilliant shade of red and her mouth shot open as wide as it could for a completely different reason.

Minutes later, a very red-faced Naruto was in full kow-tow before an equally red-faced Tamami apologizing for his wandering hands. Never mind that he was out like a light and suffocating under the weight of her rather heavy chest – he was six and embarrassed that he tried to lift the awkward weight from his face.

Tatsua's cackling laughter really wasn't helping ease the awkwardness much.

"Sua-neeeee!" Tamami's whimper, reinforced by her hands still crossed defensively across her chest, did manage to help the elder sibling gain some semblance of self-control, her final hiccupping coughs sputtering to a slow halt as she focused on the back of the blond creature's head.

"Okay, okay." Wiping away a final tear she squatted down next to the child and rapped on the back of his skull.

A muffled sound answered back.

"Look, kid, we need to figure out where we are so we can get back to our home and try again."

This time the boy did look up, despite the bright red hue to his cheeks, to lock eyes with her.

"Get home?" he asked showing absolute confusion.

"Yeah, home. You know, that place where people live when they're not out doing stuff?"

His face wrinkled up at her sarcasm and Tatsua resolutely refused to believe he was cute in any way, shape, or form. Nope, not at all, damnit.

"I don't understand. Kyūbi-nee-chan said you were here to help me." His face scrunched up in confusion.

"Well, you see kid, it's like this-." Tatsua was cut off by her now excited sibling's next outburst.

"Who is your Kyūbi-nee-chan?!"

Naruto was still having a hard time meeting her eye until the kimono-wearing woman grabbed his cheeks and forced him to.

"This is important…uh… what's your name?"

"Nawbuto," he garbled out past smooshed lips.

"Huh?"

Tatsua slapped the other woman's hands away from his face so he could talk.

"Ah, ahem, _cough_, my name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

Tamami nodded once. "Well, Naruto, it's important that we verify who your Kyūbi-nee-chan is. If she's who we think she is, we've been looking for her for a very, very long time."

Tatsua still looked unconvinced, her snort saying as much.

"She's the nine-tailed fox that attacked Konoha six years ago," he blurted out with almost zero emotion.

"Six years ago?" Both women looked at each other having been briefed of that occurrence by the senior collective of the Thirteen. "You're sure it was _six_ years ago?"

"Yup, she attacked on the day I was born and the Yondaime sealed her into here," he promptly stated while lifting his shirt and forcing chakra to swirl in his core bringing the seal to the surface. "I should know. I'm six now."

Tatsua could only glance to her sister, who, after spending a few moments marveling at the seal, slowly reached out to touch it only to find herself drawn into the mindspace before the very Kitsune they had been searching for over the last eighty years or so.

Outside, Naruto glanced up at the clearly zoned out female hovering less than a foot from his face then back to the still-standing one holding the kunai in her left hand then back to the zoned-out woman again.

'_Awkward_…'

Tatsua stared at them both as she waited to hear if she could finally stab the poor boy so they could be on their merry way. Things to do and all that.

When Tamami came to with a start, she did two things.

First, she leaned forward and hugged the surprised orphan. Naruto found it warm and soothing, something he only got to enjoy when jiji embraced him but this was different and it made him all squiggly inside as his tiny arms reached out to embrace her back. It was overall too soon when the very pretty lady kissed his cheek and released a now very shocked Naruto.

Secondly, she stood up, walked over to her sister, and slapped her full on across the jaw. Surprise, and not a few tears, began to fill up the older woman's face as she gawked at her sibling with her mouth hanging wide open. What's more any soft-spoken or shy commentary from her normally placid sister was obliterated by the woman's next statement delivered with narrow-eyed resolve.

"Kyūbi-Ōjo did not appreciate your juvenile attempts at humor nor your threatening of her new _vessel_."

The blood immediately drained from Tatsua's face as her eyes shifted to lock on the equally surprised face of the small child glancing up at them still in shock from the sensation of Tamami's soft lips on his cheek. He couldn't ever remember feeling that sensation before even with Jiji.

"But… but, he's human!" she sputtered out finally.

"Ours is not to question but to serve."

"BUT-!"

"SERVE!" Tamami appeared to have made up her mind.

It took several more minutes before the still shocked Kitsune mustered up enough courage to prostrate herself before the equally still shocked child and asked for forgiveness, something Naruto gave immediately with a hug and a smile.

He really liked hugs.

She was joined a minute later by Tamami as they sat across from their new… Lord-_ling_? Tatsua could not hope that this news would be well received by the Matrons. A male hadn't held the great bijū in over five hundred years and that was by design.

So much for tradition.

Regardless, she shook off the shock and began the tedious process of explaining what the boy had unknowingly been signed up for.

"Taichou, I am Akaihimura Tatsua and this squishy waste of fur," the taller Kitsune in the kimono cut a vicious glare to her sibling, "…is my sister Tamami. We are to be your guardians and den mates from this day forward...apparently." Tatsua mumbled that last part hoping he didn't catch it but knew her sister did judging by the increased glare she got back.

Naruto scrunched up his face in concentration for about five seconds.

"I understand guardians but what do you mean by den mates?"

Tamami spoke up for the first time, her blush mostly under control. "She means that we will live, die, eat, sleep, bathe, and have any other… manner… of life experiences with you so long as we share your life."

Tatsua bluntly chimed in with, "We are going to live with you, kiddo!"

Naruto promptly passed out again, falling sideways while at rigid seiza attention, and flopped over until he lay flat on his back, face up. _He finally had a family!_

The Twins glanced at each other with matching stares of blinking confusion.

"Is this going to be a recurring theme? Should we buy him one of those special helmets?" Tatsua chirped.

Kyūbi sighed from inside her luxury prison as she watched the three interact through her host's eyes (at least until he passed out again). Sua-chan's reaction she expected, to a degree, but hoped she would come around. She'd hate to have to cast her away after all the work that went into selecting her for the position of handmaiden.

"**Well, might as well move on to the next part of this phase."**

She calmly walked over to the large table in the center and waved one hand over the surface while funneling a mix of spirit (_Reika_) chakra and youki through her palm. The surface blazed with dozens of seals and symbols. Touching each seal that she wanted with a finger, she slid the tip across the table surface moving the desired images directly in front of her kneeling station. Placing her palms on top of the next two seals she burst large amounts of energy into the images and watched them sizzle and burn away. On the statue standing in the middle of the rock garden, she could hear the sounds of chains snapping before they vanished into glittery pieces of light.

Rising from the table as the remaining symbols faded away, Kyuubi walked over to the large bed and got comfortable. The next step wouldn't take much energy, but she needed to be comfortable to help with concentration. As floating images of human anatomy and DNA strings flitted before her face, she began pulling and tugging, erasing and adding, constantly resequencing protein strains and restructuring the peskier genome code better suited to Kitsune than humans. As the mindscape shuttered, Kyuubi smiled and glanced one last time to the statue nestled in the middle of the garden as its eyes morphed from round discs to slotted pupils and longer ears sprouted from the side of its head.

"**He's going to love this next part."**

Kyuubi's grin split her face in two as she returned to her partially spliced sequencing and began to neatly tie off the new coding. Leaking a constant stream of her energy through the four seal portals now open to her, the boy's body began to slowly pulse and change.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes: The Twins**

Originally in the storyline, the conversation between the Twins - this realization that they weren't immediately head-over-heels loyal to the new Taichou, didn't come to light until much later in the story. With the combined story, it just made more sense to bring it forward to where it actually happened, meaning the day of their summoning. It also serves to highlight that undying loyalty is not immediately won when it comes to Kitsune - it has to be earned.

Fanaticism is something entirely different.

This conversation also highlights a second reference to the mysterious Tenth Taichou of the Kitsune and the impact he had over the Skulks (a skulk is a pack of foxes, more or less). He will become important much later on - and those of you that read the first release know who he is so, _no spoilers, please!_

The Twins, the last of a rare breed of Honey Kitsune transplanted from the Land of Honey to the Land of Tea to prepare for their service to the latest bijuu vessel, were selected to be the Handmaidens of the new Taichou. They were supposed to be summoned following her Awakening, which was interrupted by Uchiha Madara, which then led to the legendary battle between the Uchiha-teme and the Shodaime.

When she disappeared (having been sealed away by Uzumaki Mito), the Kitsune panicked and went into lockdown mode waiting for her to reform so they could pick another Vixen host. Males, since the 10th was removed from power, are just not considered a viable option. Fast forward a bunch of years to the second Kyuubi battle in Konoha on the 10th of October and we have a Shinigami situation of the worst sort - direct intervention by a deity _not_ Inari.

Toru, having discovered where she went, relayed that to his Matron who, in turn, passed it to the leadership of the Thirteen, who then told the Twins to standby. If the great fox had been discovered, it would only be a matter of time before they would be summoned to serve.

Imagine their (meaning Tatsua's) disappointment when the call happens years later and comes from a small male - human - child. Normally not a problem unless your clan was one of the ones purged by the last male Taichou of the Kitsune, like the Honey Clan were. There would be some bad blood there one would think.

Small conflict of interest, no? Whatever will they do?

~III~


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes:**

A bit slower pace than the first release and a bit more of the Twins.

_~Siva'a_

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Golden Tod**

~I I I~

* * *

Tatsua bluntly chimed in with, "We are going to live with you, kiddo!"

Naruto promptly passed out again, falling sideways while at rigid seiza attention, and flopped over until he lay flat on his back, face up. _He finally had a family!_

The Twins glanced at each other with matching stares of blinking confusion.

"Is this going to be a recurring theme? Should we buy him one of those special helmets?" Tatsua chirped.

Tamami shot another withering glare at her sister as she set about making their new Taichou comfortable again. Settling the tiny male once again into the comfort of her lap, she asked her smirking sister to slide the coffee table closer so she could get some things done while they waited.

"I don't," Tatsua started to say as she easily hefted the plain piece of sturdy furniture setting it gently next to her sister's right side, "see why we can't just leave and pretend that nothing happened... like we didn't get the call in the first place. Who will know?"

That comment made the kneeling woman pause, the air around her chilling enough to force goosebumps to the surface of Tatsua's lightly tanned skin. Tamami, however, refused to speak her thoughts on such a suggestion implying to the other woman that knew her so well that she was pretending not to have heard it in the first place. Tatsua, however, did realize her slip and the impact on her sibling as she fidgeted while her sister unsealed first an inkwell, followed by several brushes, then finally papers of various sizes with a waxy sheen.

It was still several moments before Tamami spoke, by then her hand already gently smoothing the excess ink from the finest brush tip she owned.

"No one knows where their life's path will eventually lead them, this is even more so for us – the Kitsune." Her eyes never left the tiny inkwell as she spoke.

"You, my sister, are all I've ever known and loved since our flight from the land of our birth but I will not keep your feet from the path you wish to pursue, despite how much it would hurt me to see you go."

_'Well, shit.'_ Tatsua's breath caught in her throat. Tamami had just raised the stakes by making her intentions abundantly clear.

"You would leave me," the older sibling's shocked eyes wandering down to the unconscious child in her sister's lap, "for _this?_"

Tamami still hadn't looked up at this point.

"For the record, I am doing what Kyūbi-sama has commanded of us. For the second record, I am not abandoning anyone." Tamami held her sister's disbelieving stare without flinching. "It is _you_ who are abandoning _us_."

Silence filled the air for many minutes as the kneeling Kitsune began drawing her brush across one of the normal sheets of paper at her side, her back straight in order to keep her overfull chest from smothering her peacefully sleeping charge. She stayed focused on her task even as her sister quietly turned on a heel and stepped from the spacious apartment.

The moments ticked by peacefully as Tamami's brush glided across the various sheets of paper she'd spread out on her impromptu work surface, the ticking of the plain circular wall clock the only accompaniment to the steady swishing of her calligraphy implement.

She kept working even after a quick glance at the clock revealed the passing of twenty minutes, a brief smile spreading her lips as her head leaned forward to try and peak past her chest to the gently snoring child in her lap.

"Well, twenty minutes is a record for Sua-chan." She paused and giggled lightly, a brief nod of her head swaying the silky curtain of golden hair as she agreed to some unheard comment.

"Yes, she can be a bit brash but that only means she is passionate about what she believes in."

A ruffled snort from her lap could almost be taken as agreement or amusement, depending on your familiarity with the subject with limbs sprawled to the four winds.

"I'm sure you two will grow to love each other in time." She glanced once up to the ceiling briefly. "Speaking of time... Three, two, aaaaaaannnd..."

She kept working even as her sister stormed back into the apartment only to stomp over to the couch throwing her body down onto it with a huff of air.

"Don't say it!"

"Welcome back, beloved sister."

"Screw you! You knew I never went much farther than the roof, didn't you?"

"Yes." The left corner of Tamami's mouth again crinkled into an upturned wrinkle.

Tamami could easily hear her older sister's muttered, "Damnable cheating sensors."

"You were never very good at running away."

"You never know! One day I just might really do it!"

"Of course, dear."

"I meant it!"

"Shh! He's still sleeping," Tamami shushed.

"Screw him to!" the now frustrated former runaway barked out.

"Someday, when he's old enough and if you're well-behaved enough, I might just let you."

Tatsua tried both ignoring her sister's conceited smirk and not choking on her own spit. "Never!"

"I need you to stop being hostile enough to pick up a few things for us," Tamami chirped with a happy smile, the ink on her list now dry as she passed one of her projects to her sibling. "Please find me something in blue, if you can."

Her sister snatched the sheet, read over it once briefly, then left the apartment yet again after making sure her ears and tails were securely hidden away. Not even her grumbling could remove the contented smile from Tamami's face as she turned to her next task, the image of Kyūbi-sama's new gift burning in her mind before her brush gracefully danced across several sheets of the waxy seal transfer squares.

~I I I~

When Naruto eventually came to, he had a difficult time remembering what happened and where he was. He remembered the summoning ceremony. He remembered the insanely pretty Kitsune in his apartment. He could still hear the fan over the stove trying to pump out all the smoke. _'Aaaah, I'm on the floor of my apartment. I must have passed out.'_

Something wasn't right though. He couldn't see anything, and he wasn't exactly flat on his back. More importantly, something heavy was pressed to his forehead and it covered his eyes so he couldn't open them. He was aware that his head and shoulders were laying on something very soft, something that smelled of sakura petals.

He also hurt… as in all of him hurt from head to toe. Well, nothing for it but to find out why he couldn't open his eyes as he wanted to at least see what was going on. He reached up to lift off whatever was pressing on his face.

"Huyaaaah!" Shudder. _Funny… that sounded like Tamami-chan._

Two very soft but strong hands closed on his own firmly pulling them away from whatever he was trying to move off of his head but Tamami's chest eventually lifted from his face.

"I-I-I-I-I…. s-sorry!... D-D-D-Didn't mean to!" he sputtered.

By now he was floundering especially since he realized he was snuggled comfortably in her lap.

"I think we can safely say he's a boob-man, eh?"

Both faces, both equally flushed in embarrassment, shot heated glares to the smug brawler sitting comfortably from her position of safety on the couch. She actually took a moment to lift the neckline of her mesh shirt away to glance down at her own not-inconsiderable chest strapped down like cargo.

"Or maybe it's just your over-sized-."

_"NEE-CHAN!"_

Despite the apparent distress of her baby sister, Tatsua's grin only increased at their growing discomfort. If she was stuck with this shit-sandwich, she was by Inari's grace going to enjoy every moment she could. Speaking of which, her glare turned particularly malicious as she looked down to lock stares with the still-glaring boy child.

"Taichou, you are going to have to get used to this as you will more than likely see us in various stages of undress while living with you. I know I'm partial to tee-shirts and panties when I'm relaxing at home."

The boy's sputtering shock gave her a warm feeling of achievement even as she reached up to absently rub the base of her neck.

"The naked female body should not surprise you as female shinobi, and more importantly female Kitsune once you're old enough, will most likely try to use this as a way to get close to you. Your enemy will use whatever means are available to them in order to exploit that weakness and many generals have been assassinated in their beds by shinobi pretending to be their lovers. With us, you need never doubt whether or not our loyalty and affections are sincere."

Naruto did marvelous credit to his gender and age group with his best wide-eyed "Eewwwwwww!" He is six after all and the _"Talk"_ stuff was beginning to make his head hurt. He was still coming to terms with the fact that Tamami wasn't angry with him for squeezing her chest.

"Stop teasing him, _and stop messing with that or it will get infected!_"

This confused Naruto as he glanced up with a clearly confused look on his face to ask what Tamami was talking about. Unfortunately, his train of thought (and limited attention span was thrown off when he couldn't see the underside of her chin - all he could see was a wide expanse of dark blue cloth.

Apparently Tatsua got the message though as her hand shot down into her lap as if chased there by her own scowl. Forget that she'd even said that he would be seeing both of them more or less with nothing on as his limited attention span abruptly changed channels yet again. The one word the very young Naruto's mind latched on to was the honorific, "Taichou."

"Why?"

Tatsua paused, her scowl melting into a confused question. "Hnn?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Calling you what? Stumpy?"

The boy's face wrinkled up cutely into a six-year-old pout.

"No!" His outrage made her giggle, a sound that he liked and lessened his furious _Glare no Jutsu of Doom_. She was really lucky, in his honest opinion, he hadn't cranked it up to Level Two, the murderous _Glare no Jutsu of Death_.

"Jiji says I'll hit a growth spurt any day now!"

Tatsua snorted. Loudly. TWICE. "Uh-huh. Anyway, listen up, Stumpy-chan."

Despite the continued _Glare no Jutsu of Doom_, what followed (once he explained her precarious situation) was a detailed explanation of the young boy's new Kitsune position of power. Of how "Taichou" was an old term of respect for the highest level of military leader as theirs was a militarily-structured organization as compared to the mafia-oriented toads, who shall remain nameless from henceforward, or the chaotic ferrets that had no discernible structure that anyone could see. He sat gobsmacked as he learned how he was third in power below the Kami Inari and Kyuubi herself, their empress. As Kyuubi was sealed inside his belly (Tamami gently placed one palm on his stomach), he was the new emperor with direct access to Inari-kami himself, the honest to goodness Kami of all Kitsune.

He was, in fact, the Taichou entitled to all rights, privileges, and authority thereof and these two were his right-hand maidens sworn to defend and protect his life until he released them from his service – or they died while in the act of doing so, whichever came first.

Plenty of people had tried to make Naruto die but no one had ever sworn to die in his stead.

"Ano… don't I have to be Kitsune for that to happen?" Last he checked he was still a young boy. A human boy.

Tamami chuckled and one of her hands left his chest to gently stroke one of his long, golden ears from base to tip. The sensation was amazing, and his ear tried to twitch away from the delicate stroke. His body immediately flushed with warmth and shivered, much like she did earlier. It also did something weird to his stomach.

Simultaneously, Tatsua got up from her comfy perch to reach behind him and gently stroke one of his two tails, slowly bringing it up around his prone body so he could see it. It was the same golden blond as his hair and tipped with snow-white fur. It was apparently also very sensitive. He shuddered again, his tail flicking quickly out of her grasp as she rubbed it across her face and chin.

"We will need to work on your control, Taichou." Her very lecherous smirk was not lost on the flabbergasted youth.

"I need to see this." A hectic scramble and detangling of limbs ensued while he wriggled out from Tamami's grasp and staggered to the bathroom.

Tamami pouted at her suddenly cold lap - he was a regular furnace when sleeping - and Tatsua giggled as they waited for his reaction.

When the light flicked on he saw exactly what he expected to see – two long ears and two…_two?_... very fluffy tails swaying back and forth behind him. The fur was as golden as his hair except at the tips where it was a blinding white. Oddly enough, his tails felt pinched at the waistband of his sweats and he feared his limited-edition wardrobe was about to undergo modifications in the near future.

His eyes were the same deep blue, but the golden pupils were more oval-shaped than round and constricted further once the bright light came on making them shrink into slits, and his whisker marks were deeper. His mouth opened as his smile grew and that's when he noticed his pronounced canines.

Yup…he was a Kitsune and a darned good looking one if you please.

It was as he was gently poking his larger fangs with his fingertips that his right ear twitched towards the living room and he heard Tamami whispering to her sister hoping that he wouldn't send them away.

He smiled thinking those ears would be pretty useful if he could find a way to cover them. He was also pleasantly surprised by how much clearer his vision was and grinned again. He almost turned away when he turned off the light except a blue glow in the mirror caught his attention. Taking a second look, that blue glow was coming from his body, his whole body. He was giving off a steady stream of blue energy in an aura.

A bit concerned by this, he returned to the twins and sat down next to them with their expectant faces locked onto his eyes. Tamami looked disappointed when he didn't immediately snuggle back into her lap.

"Okay, what's going on?"

Without saying a word, the girls glanced to each other very quickly before reaching over to him and placing a hand on each shoulder.

"This had better work, Tama-chan," the bob-cut female groused.

Before he knew it, there was another pull on his mind and the three of them were back in the mindscape kneeling before the table with Kyuubi on the other side. Without preamble, the twins bowed deeply to the nine-tailed fox as the next important lesson was about to begin.

Kyuubi had a grin threatening to swallow her entire face. As she looked at her golden _tod_, her snow-capped Taichou, her body grew warm starting with her core. Shivering off the increase in animalistic pheromones, she settled into her lecture mode and wove a tale.

For half a moment, she considered applying the seal she'd provided to the Twins to herself only to wave off the idea. If things went according to plan, she'd never have to worry about him betraying her so why fight what she could overpower anyway?

"**Three things have happened to you so that we," **she motioned to herself and the two-tailed vixens,**" can keep you alive as this rotten village has very little interest in doing so." **She raised one dainty index finger.

"**First off, the twins are going to help train you and protect you. That is why we summoned them." **Tatsua and Tamami smiled warmly and nodded their heads in agreement, Tatsua's shocked face at seeing the Kyuubi directly across from her beginning to sink in.

**"Their job is to take care of you and help train you as the ultimate Kitsune warrior, the Warlord of our Kitsune army. Each has her own specialties and you can learn a great deal about being Kitsune from them. This will have the added benefit of preparing you for a shinobi career but that is not their primary goal and I ask you to remember that. **

**"Their first task is to help you relearn how to use your chakra since this,"** she waved one hand in vague circles in front of his face and shoulders, **"…has reinforced your now expanded chakra network and more than likely wrecked what little control you had, if any."**

Naruto's only response was, "Hnn… chakra?" Kyuubi continued unphased, tossing him a scroll explaining in detail how chakra worked both in humans and Kitsune. Glancing quickly over the first few feet of the scroll, he found the complicated chakra network of his tails very interesting reading.

Another finger joined the first. **"Second, I removed the remaining two limiters from your seal matrix. This will unlock your physical and spiritual potential, but **_**I cannot stress enough…" **_Her voice had risen slightly when she saw his face light up indicating his brain was tuning her out over dreams of being the next One-Punch super ninja… **"...that this is a double-edged sword. If you don't learn to control your new body, and soon, all we've worked for will come undone and you'll remain weak and defenseless. As you are now, a civilian teenager could cripple you even with the magnificent body I have engineered for you.**

"**Finally, as you've noticed by now you have some new... accessories,"** she almost crooned as the third finger rose into the air. Naruto's new ears perked up and his tails started swaying side to side again, playfully swatting his twin playmates on their respective rumps. Kyuubi saw both ladies blush (the boy was completely oblivious to what he was doing) and heard a subtle sigh escape Tamami's lips. _**'****Huh, it's always the quiet ones.'**_

"**I've given you the equivalent of a bloodline set package, basically the concentrated physical enhancements of the Kitsune race, with a couple of perks not normally included. It's up to these two to teach you and help you adapt but I will share with you my personal additions as they are not familiar with them. **She bijuu smiled as both vixens absently reached back to the base of their skulls.

"**You already have enhanced regeneration courtesy of exposure to my youki, which is funneled through these three Uzu medical seals." **Three green seal arrays appeared on the table in front of them.** "You can regenerate most damaged organs if given enough time and most poisons will have little effect on you but that does not make you invulnerable. Enough physical damage can still kill you and no amount of regeneration can help you if your head gets separated from your neck."** She drew her thumb across her throat to emphasize her point.

**"So, don't get cocky, kit."**

Naruto filed that _very_ important fact away, one hand ghosting up to his neck.

"**Also, I've increased the density of your bone structure and muscle tissue by almost two-and-a-half times. This will give you added strength and durability making you harder to kill but not so bulky it makes you rigid and slow. We can't have a repeat of last year's birthday. If you die, I die. Let's not have that." **

Naruto nodded emphatically in agreement.

"**And finally, as we are now officially joined through the seal, and you are directly linked to my chakra (as you call it), we can do more than speak mentally outside of the mindscape. You will have access to my chakra affinities, which will grow as you gain more strength through an added number of tails. And you will get more tails, never more than eight though, as you get stronger."** She leaned forward to garner his undivided attention. **"And I **_**WANT **_**you to get stronger."** She gently flicked his nose with her fingertip and smiled.

"**Now go. I am tired after all my work and I'd like to rest."**

This was a lot to take in, but he reached out and hugged the gorgeous Kyuubi one more time as things faded to nothing. When he glanced up to his new roommates, he grinned and hugged them both, then stood, stretched, and walked quietly into his bedroom.

Unsure of what to do the girls eventually went back to check on the new Kitsune only to see him face down on his bed snoring peacefully in deep slumber.

Naruto woke up hours later feeling great, Kyuubi's magic healing powers reducing his pain to a dull ache. He yawned and stretched suddenly puzzled as to why one of his new tails was stuck. Opening his eyes to find his face buried in Tamami's grasp, her baby-blue pajamas covered in little golden bees, and the rest of her pressed snugly up against his front like he was a self-heating body pillow. One of his was tails snuggled up to her face in her sleeping kung-fu action death grip.

He first began to blush and look for a way to escape without having to cut off his brand-new tail. Then he realized that he had a second tail and that it was also stuck but somehow behind him. Trying to free it he tugged on it.

It didn't come free but Tatsua moaned in a very odd way, her voice coming from right behind his ear, so he tugged again. No luck but he heard another moan before something squeezed his tail. Looking behind him, he saw her pajama-clad body pressed up against his back and his tail snuggled between her thighs.

Both of his tails were trapped, and he could smell something musky and sweet at the same time, his nose twitching as he tried to figure out a way to escape. If they were going to be sleeping with him in the same bed, he was going to need a bigger bed since he liked to spread out a bit.

Slowly prying his fuzzy appendages from their grips of doom, the walking night light snuck his way into the shower to scrub up for his new day casually noticing that at least a third of his bed was unoccupied with him still smashed between the two of them. He didn't mind being their teddy bear but they might have to set some boundaries.

He had to admit that the physical contact was nice though. He liked hugs. It was also while under the hot water (his old apartment never had hot water) that the notion of welcomed physical contact hit him with another issue.

Villagers hated him when he was normal Naruto. How was he going to get around as super Kitsune Naruto, the Golden Taichou? He resolved to start his new training regimen when the girls woke up, whatever it was going to be. Maybe they knew a way to fix that.

They'd also have to talk about sleeping and hogging his tails.

Inside the seal, Kyuubi laughed at his dilemma. _**'You may not mind so much in a few years,' **_she thought quietly.

The answer he got when they finally awoke was not what he was hoping for.

His chakra control was shot. Well, it wasn't like he had a lot to begin with but what little he had was pretty much gone.

Standing in his living room with his tails fluttering frantically the boy-who-would-be-Kage couldn't even set fire to his own apartment. Wall climbing? Forget it. Assume Tamami's form with a henge? He got an Akimichi-sized girl with blue hair and no clothes. He couldn't even manage enough steady chakra to use chakra paper.

Oh well. Back to the drawing board.

He had to rework all of the basic chakra training he'd done with Kyuubi. The physical changes also came with both larger, more robust chakra coils and reserves basically destroying what little control he had just as she'd predicted. He was now trying to control the flow of a large river vice a fully-charged fire hose.

To make matters worse, he learned that his completely destroyed chakra control wasn't even solely caused by the growth in his chakra network; his overnight biological conversion into a Kitsune had developed something called the _Modulous Gland_ located near the base of his tails, one gland having developed for each tail.

This genetic marvel's sole purpose was for the regulating of _Reika_-based chakra in his tail networks, networks that were supposed to be just as complicated as his human-developed chakra network. The only difference between his glands - because he was a human first - and the glands of a normal Kitsune was that his did more than regulate the flow of chakra to and from the tail's network.

His glands were larger and more complicated as they were required to either allow or prevent flow of his Kitsune spirit chakra (like a normal Kitsune) from his tail network to what they were calling his core network but also regulating that same flow by mixing the two normally incompatible chakras into a usable form of hybrid chakra that wouldn't poison him over time. Then end result was a more robust network as his chakra gates, coils, and tenketsu had to be reinforced to handle the revised flows.

The Twins seemed nonplussed and, with a gentle smile, told him that they already worked out a beginner training schedule for him.

His training would be broken up by their specialties.

Tamami would teach him general chakra control, Kitsune genjutsu, Kitsune elemental control and what little human ninjutsu she had learned over the years living in the human world, which admittedly was not much. What she didn't know they would study together. When he asked why it had to be Kitsune techniques, she informed him that they weren't well-versed in human techniques seeing as Kitsune arts were regulated through their tails, which internally regulated and molded their chakra into elemental forms without handseals.

Tatsua would work on his physical aspects to include reinforcement and extension techniques with chakra control exercises, Kitsune taijutsu, and Kitsune kenjutsu. Unfortunately, before they could get to the cool stuff, he would have to learn to control his new body and that would take time.

She seemed a bit too excited at that idea.

The three worked him to the bone always keeping him inside until he learned to alter his form enough to pass for human again, but it would take pretty much the rest of summer before he had enough control to hold Kitsune illusions long enough to get through a day of school and be able to learn transformations. There were two types, one that simply covered his appearance under a false image of no substance – in other words, he could still have his Kitsune appendages out but anyone bumping into them would break the illusion – and one that actually transformed him physically, removing the tails, ears and covered his eyes making him look and feel like the old Naruto.

At least he didn't glow anymore by the time August rolled around.

As much as he hated going without the tails and ears, the latter technique was more useful in that he could assume other more helpful forms… like a fox or other people he was familiar with. It also meant he could shop unopposed. Most vendors were very polite to his disguised forms, especially when he imitated women, which he was learning a great deal about living with two beautiful ones that shed clothing at the drop of a hat.

Tamami was very helpful in correcting problems with his shape change jutsu, his female persona coming a long way with her help.

He would eventually have to find a name for his female alter ego. It was _very_ effective at persuading dirty old men to be nice to him. It also opened up whole new realms of pranking. It just took forever to learn enough control to maintain the form longer than thirty minutes.

They used this new level of control as an incentive to give him time outside of his apartment as he developed a severe case of cabin fever halfway through summer. His control shot up dramatically, however, and Tatsua was relentless in conditioning his body which served to further increase his physical chakra reserves. She even began to train him at night in nearby training grounds. He felt like a new man…. er, boy.

Training continued through the last civilian school year which by now was a blur of activity. His grades improved (when they weren't being actively sabotaged) and his overall scores were high enough to let him graduate. To be honest, teachers would have passed him anyway just to get the demon brat out of their classrooms. It did afford plenty of time to train before and after school with the twins and added new skills to his tool chest.

Wall climbing, water walking, camouflage, and voice throwing, all valuables tools in the Kitsune trickster bag, made nights of pranking (and evading) ANBU worth the exercise of fleeing for his life. Pranking the rude store owners just made life enjoyable, especially when Tatsua began teaching him burglar skills like lock picking, wirework, trap detection (and removal), and pick-pocketing.

When he found ledgers reporting how much shop owners had robbed from him, it all became very personal and he very diligently worked to balance the scales. He just gave the money to other street urchins and homeless people in the red-light district where he was just another social outcast.

He became _very_ popular in that part of town.

~I I I~

"Okay, this looks like a good spot to camp for the night." Tatsua set her pack down and glanced back to her soon-to-be-eight-year-old charge as his heavy breaths quickly settled down into normal breathing. His stamina, even at such a young age astounded her. She refused to get attached to the tiny future psycho though.

Males just could not be trusted; she'd seen the mistake of that first hand and Kitsune were long-lived enough that Taichous were transitionary. There would be another one along soon enough and the Thirteen would make her female and all would be well again.

She pointedly averted her gaze up and away from his big, blue, gorgeous eyes once he looked up at her in anticipation. Nope, he wasn't cute at all, just another street rat. Yup.

Besides, he'd be warier of her after this camping visit.

"Okay, Taichou." She didn't have to look down to know he was vibrating with excitement. "We're going to set up a den here then we're going to learn trapping for small game." She glanced down and - yup, he was so excited his body was vibrating in place.

"Camping basics and small game trapping before we learn to hunt, got it?"

The small child pumped a fist into the air and began setting up their combined tent with excitement; she'd weened him of that spontaneously-shouting nonsense the last two times they'd come camping.

Thumps to the head were effective.

"Do you need a hand?"

He shook his head and shot her a cheeky "thumbs up" before diving right in. She, in turn, climbed up to a comfortable branch and watched closely as he set up the tent - noting a couple of poles would need to be tightened otherwise it was passable - then set about prepping a basic campfire complete with y-shaped sticks to make a spit. To cap it off, they were close enough to a stream that he returned with a flat-ish stone just big enough for a couple of metal mugs or a small pot.

The vixen smiled knowing the stone would get bigger over time as he got stronger. The fact that he remembered that she liked her tea in the morning, and that she used warming stones over the fire, made him less intolerable. he was almost bearable at this point.

"Come on, Stumpy." His hands flopped from their proud position on his tiny hips as he shot her another pout, er, glare.

"Let's go catch some fish then I'll teach you how to trap small game."

He tittered with excitement as the two sauntered off. Tatsua, offhandedly considered the lush bounty of Konoha's surrounding forests finding it ironic that the same despicable humans that once made his life a living hell were going to be responsible for him becoming the apex predator in these very same woods.

A shiver shot down her spine at the thought, the vixen unsure just yet if that was a good or a bad thing. He was male after all.

"Okay, Stumpy-chan." _'He growled. How cute!'_ "I'm going to show you three trapping methods I prefer to use when hunting game this week and we are going to store the rabbit carcasses in this handy scroll Tama-chan gave us so they don't go bad."

She cut him off immediately. "No, for the last time I don't know how to make storage scrolls. Stop asking, Stumpy-chan."

"First two we'll learn at the same time. We're going to learn how to make pitfalls and box traps." She glanced down to her little pack minion. "Did you bring the apple cores?"

Naruto obediently held up the trash bag filled with semi-rotten leftovers.

"Good. Let's get to work then!"

Building traps wasn't as tough as the future shinobi thought it would be. Finding rabbit activity wasn't too difficult either once you knew what their round poop pellets looked like or where to typically find holes in the ground surrounded by rabbit tracks.

Tatsua was full of helpful information, like how rabbits liked the sweetness of apples over veggies - the natural sugar made sense - but also how if you crushed an apple or two around your traps and snares it helped hide the scent of humans and other predators.

He also learned that the little buggers were really good jumpers so their pit trap needed to be at least an arm's length deep (Tatsua's arm length not his) and narrow to prevent them from jumping out of it. Finding thin twigs to lay over the pit then covering it with leaves made the pit easy to do just about anywhere if you had a shovel (since neither knew any neat jutsu). All it took was a little work.

Tatsua unsealed a pair of boxes and explained how big they needed to be and what kind of sticks she thought best to prop it up. It helped that she'd used hers regularly so it made for a bizarre kind of show and tell.

The next day, sure enough, they found a cute little bunny in the box and two sitting quietly in the shallow pit. Naruto's happiness at catching the cute balls of fluff had him briefly losing control with an exuberant "Yatta!" Unfortunately, all it did was startle the rabbits and earn him another bop on the noggin.

Still, it did nothing to curb his enthusiasm until she lifted one of the panicked creatures from the pit by the scruff of the neck and held it out to him, which generated a questioning look from the child.

That look melted into panicked fear two seconds later when she handed him a thin-bladed knife and blandly ordered him to "Kill it."

It would be a much more traumatized Uzumaki Naruto learning how to make tree snares two days later already knowing what was coming his way once they caught the next brace of rabbits.

~I I I~

Camping and hunting would not be the extent of his education.

Extension techniques allowed him to funnel chakra into his tails and make them stretch. This was extremely handy, especially when combined with tree walking through the tenketsu points in a Kitsune's tail, all three hundred and twelve of them. In fact, a Kitsune's tail had a highly developed chakra network as a vast majority of their chakra manipulation was funneled through their tails. By the time summer ended, he could stretch his tails to twice their natural length (each tail was three-quarters the length of his body) and could hold up to seventy-five kilos of weight in each. Tatsua was ecstatic especially at night when she wanted a security blanket.

She wouldn't teach him reinforcement just yet, but she did introduce him to it. Being able to boost his physical strength and speed, while generating a hide as tough as stone, made him drool but she told him the development of his body had to come first. If he was a good Taichou, she would start teaching him by the end of his first year in the academy.

And nothing he did, not his _Puppy Eyes No Jutsu_ nor groveling on his knees with promises of all the hugs and kisses she could stand would change her mind.

Tatsua did take him out at night and into the forests to teach him how to use his senses. His normal vision was marvelous, but Kitsune night vision was incredible. Moonless nights were still crystal clear. With a small stream of chakra to his eyes, he could even see residual heat traces in animal tracks and heat signatures from bodies up to thirty meters away. She put him through his paces, but he learned a great deal about Kitsune sensory capabilities.

For one, Kitsune, like foxes, have binocular vision just like normal foxes do, vision granting a wider field of view with greater depth perception and accuracy even without streaming chakra to his eyes. This made it much more difficult to sneak up on a Kitsune with camouflage jutsu if they were able to study their environment undisturbed – even if you could get past their keen noses.

Another benefit came in the greater form of higher olfactory functions. While a fox's sense of smell isn't as good as your specialized (read hunting variety) _Canis Lupus_, his sense of smell was roughly fifty times better than a boring human and could accurately discriminate odors with a range of about half a mile. He was never going to beat an Inuzuka in the nose department, but he could hold his own.

It was extremely useful in keeping track of the twins by smell, especially when she taught him about the special caudal gland in the tip of his tail used to mark his mates (it smelled like a flower he wasn't familiar with). This also made their fascination with cuddling his tail much clearer – they were marking themselves as taken to other Kitsune males. This discovery made him blush for over an hour when he remembered that Tatsua tended to snuggle his tail between her thighs (she never quite gave up on that habit).

His parabolic ears were fantastic. Without chakra, he could hear rats and mice up to one hundred meters on a quiet night and target sounds to within a few degrees of accuracy, although lots of background noise cut down on the range. The only downside was that loud noises caused lots of distractions and some pain until he learned to mentally filter the excess.

The whisker marks and tail were used to help with his balance and high-speed locomotion. In addition to fine-tuning his balance (Tatsua smeared cream all over the whisker marks on one side of his face and laughed while he continuously fell over), they also were good for detecting shifts in air pressure by fast-moving items because of the extremely fine hair follicles nestled deep in the whisker grooves of his cheeks. His tails acted like large rudders even helping him change direction or position in midair. After he mastered movement with this pair of additions, Tatsua made him master the Kitsune transformation and learn how to move again without them once they were hidden.

In the end, he discovered that he missed his fuzzy add-ons and couldn't wait to unfurl them the moment he got home.

It wasn't until he mastered the basics that they taught him a chakra exercise to protect him against attacks that targeted those delicate senses. That was worth learning and resulted in a passionate make-out session with Tamami, much to her pleasure, even if it was only him repeatedly kissing her cheeks.

It got much better afterward as Tatsua started taking him out into the forested training areas of Konoha to learn how to hunt bigger game and survive with more than a rudimentary diet in the wild. They had to buy a small freezer chest to keep the extras they brought back, much to Tamami's joy, as it gave plenty of material to teach cooking with.

Tatsua taught him how to cook in the field but the Haught cuisine belonged to her sister.

By the time his birthday rolled around again, he was both a functional Kitsune and a passable human. They also stayed in this time around thanks to Tama-chan's basic defensive seal arrays and watched movies while snuggled up on the couch.

Yes, he needed to hide from the villagers. Yes, they scowled, yelled, insulted, and hurt him whenever they could get away with it (which was never now). Yes, they used every opportunity they could to "hunt down the demon brat!" but not every waking moment of his life was darkness and pain and suffering. Sometimes there were rather spectacular moments of light and love that helped to reaffirm that possibly, perhaps maybe, not every human was a wasted bag of walking flesh.

Sometimes, good things could happen to the Kyuubi container.

Take for instance a certain Miko near the southern outskirts of Konoha.

During his last year in the civilian school, and only during nights of the full moon, the Twins would take him to a very secluded training area they'd discovered when scouting out the village. These nights were quickly becoming Naruto's favorite because Kitsune biology was greatly affected by the lunar pull.

He felt energized during the full moon. On nights like these, when the full moon could be seen in the afternoon sky before the sunset, the Twins would take the boy to this secluded hideaway so that he could burn off excess energy near Training Area Fifty-Four. It was a small glade located just up a steep hillside from the tiny shrine dedicated to Omoikane, the little worshipped Kami of wisdom and intelligence.

The glade was small centering around a deep pool fed by a trickling waterfall, the resulting flow splitting off in two directions before gurgling down the hillside. One directly fed the shrine fresh water. The other ran off to join a larger stream before disappearing into the woods. It was in this second stream that the monks and Mikos of the shrine cleansed their bodies, just far enough away so that they didn't contaminate the pool at its source.

This did little to stop Naruto on the nights his guardians brought him to the pool in full Kitsune Hanyou form, a habit that became routine every month during the full cycle of the moon when their bodies raged against the moon's strongest pull.

The boy relished these early days when he could release the transformation and let furry bits fly openly. He'd strip down to just his shorts and boxers and would let loose his pent-up energy by running around, over, swimming in and leaping out of the pool, oft times running along the rocky face of the small waterfall, his joyous face raised to the moon above as he whooped and yelled.

Even with the pheromonal suppression seal at the base of their necks, their Taichou's youki-enhanced pheromone production was... a bit much to undertake. So out into the open air they boldly went.

The Twins, in their full battle fox forms, would sit by the poolside watching the young kit leap about whilst trying to cleanse their bodies of the built-up pheromones Naruto constantly released. They didn't fault Kyuubi for wanting to make him formidable from the start, but the child was innocently unaware, almost blissfully, of the effect biologically it was having on the two very fertile females.

Their eyes spent the greater part of the day mentally dilated, their brains literally high off extremely saturated levels of dopamine coursing through their mesolimbic pathways and their synaptic activity stimulated by his overactive pheromone production. So, the Twins brought him here for two reasons.

First, high levels of physical activity out here helped to reduce his physical activity in that tiny apartment reducing the spread of his pheromonal fog. Kyuubi ramped up his body to be on par with a mature Kitsune male and this meant he produced the very addicting stimulant like a smokestack.

Second, being out in the fresh air helped to calm their stressed-out receptors and reduced the chemical stack-up when they weren't right on top of him, so to speak. It was their own version of physical therapy combined with pheromonal purging.

Naruto didn't notice how their hands clenched and unclenched when the girls were fighting the urge to rip off his clothes. He didn't notice how their nostrils flared when he came back from harsh physical training and began stripping off layers of clothing to the many whines and whimpers from his female roommates. He didn't notice how they went without undergarments because their bodies refused to let them stay dry (though he had commented on the heavier levels of musk in the apartment so much that the poor oven vent stayed on pretty much all day long). He was seven. What did he know about Kitsune - let alone female - biology?

So, here they sat, their foxy tails swishing back and forth as the young Taichou leaped about with water flying off his body as he careened off the rocks situated around the pool hundreds of yards from the minor shrine. It was also here that he met his first crush.

Akio was wending her way up the trail to the spring. It was late afternoon and sounds were oddly distorted in the growing night, but she was sure she had heard it this time; there was something up there and she meant to chase it away while everyone else was finishing up the evening meal (she'd wolfed down her food so that she could get away to check it out). She could clearly hear splashing now as she drew closer, the happy shouts afterward sounded like a young boy.

Her brows narrowed in anger. Didn't this vagabond realize the importance of the pool that fed clean water to her shrine?

She would have to teach him a lesson.

Pausing to pick up a stout branch lying under a tree, she shook it a few times in what she hoped was a threatening manner (in truth, she had no idea how to fight she was just hoping to scare whoever it was away) and stealthily made her way off of the stone walking path and into the brush not far from the pool. As she crept through the tangles, her eyes nearly exploded from her face and her jaw fell open at the two majestic foxes she saw sitting peacefully by the water's edge, both lazing in the setting sun as they watched the most curious male child leaping about and… _running on top of the water's surface?_

She blinked once, twice, then three times as her eyes flicked back and forth between the odd trio.

She was stunned, and she knew not which oddity to stare at first. Foxes were a good omen for Omoikane as they were seen as intelligent creatures. Now Akio wasn't a child as she'd seen her fifteenth summer, and, by all rights, she was a lovely young woman in full possession of her faculties. Her shrine secretly tended the breed of _Vulpes Schrencki_ that came to feed on the scraps the higher priests and Mikos left out at night once a week (they were careful not to overfeed the foxes lest they become too dependent). She could say with certainty as she secretly studied those smaller fluffballs that she loved foxes and had some familiarity with the breed. These two specimens were magnificent, unlike anything she had ever seen before.

The twin foxes were a beautiful golden red, more gold than red, and were larger than any other fox to date. On their haunches, she guessed their bodies were easily over a meter in length. Lean sinewy muscles twitched lazily under their silky fur and both of their twin tails… she blinked several times here… they each had two tails apiece, each an additional meter in length. They were enormous specimens, but she couldn't stop herself from whispering, "…_Kitsune!"_ their ears twitched to her direction in response, but the creatures didn't bolt or stir from their perches. Instead, they remained absolutely focused on the blonde child running amok in her shrine's spring.

With great effort, Akio tore her gaze from the benevolent _Kitsune_ and caught sight of the child doing somersaults and handsprings across the water's surface.

~I I I~

"_Do you think Taichou has noticed her?"_

Tamami gave the equivalent of a mental snort._ "I doubt it. He is lost in the thrush of freedom, no matter how short it is."_

"_Let's see how this plays out then. Odds on bakemono versus seishin?"_

Tamami chirped a very foxlike chuckle. _"I see your play and raise you my dishes all next week – I say seishin."_

Tatsua chirped her agreement. It would be nice not to go hunting with the Taichou for a while. Seeing him take down prey with his claws and fangs was very… stimulating.

~I I I~

This time she dropped her branch and gaped at the boy's tails, yes, tails as in more than one and his foxlike ears, all of which were a beautiful golden color tipped by white. It matched the shock of golden hair on his head. Her eyes tried to draw in more detail, but he was moving too quickly, and, at one point, he crested in a backwards leap into the air by flipping his body gracefully over the center of the pool before diving with minimal splashing into its depths. Moments later, he breached the surface and landed in a crouch on the surface, his body flexing (she had noticed his bare chest and back with a shameful blush) then shaking, the water flinging from his body starting at his head and working its way down to his tails, which "poofed" out into two bushy feather dusters.

Akio couldn't help it. She snickered then gasped as her hands flew to her traitorous mouth. Too late. The male Kitsune evidently heard her as one snow-tipped ear twitched before his head snapped in her direction, her chocolaty brown eyes meeting his deep blue ones, as deep a blue as the center of their spring.

She squeaked in terror and fled back down the hill, her body crashing clumsily through the brush.

Naruto looked to the Twins who merely tilted their heads like the poor defenseless creatures of the forest that they were. Recognizing their ploy, he grimaced then leaped off after the girl in the red and white Miko robes. If he didn't win her over, those two would play "Bad Kitsune" and threaten to eat her.

Thinking it over, they'd been pretty cranky lately. Perhaps they might actually eat someone this time? He began to move with a sense of urgency.

Leaping from the water's surface, he took to the trees and dropped down easily fifty meters ahead of the panicked girl who by now wasn't even watching where she was fleeing to. Naruto sighed.

_Didn't girls ever pay attention when they watched scary movies?_ He leaped towards her to get her attention.

He landed right in front of her trying to make as much noise as he could. She was too panicked and ran into him anyway with a shriek, which meant she ricocheted off him when he used chakra to stay on his feet and fell back onto the hard pathway. When her eyes snapped up to meet his, she froze at first then frantically backpedaled until she bumped into a tree. Naruto, moving slowly and deliberately, crouched down on all fours and immediately went into "Shy Seishin" mode, turning his body partially sideways like an animal would when it stumbles upon something it couldn't quite figure out.

~I I I~

Tamami, still in her combat form, looked at Tatsua and gave a crappy grin (if foxes had the facial muscles to do that).

Tatsua merely waved her off with a tail, _"It's not over yet. He still has time to eat her."_

Tamami snorted.

~I I I~

Naruto raised his chin a bit, his long ears laid back along his head, and sniffed the air a few times. The girl was terrified, but she wasn't trying to run anymore. Her eyes were wide, her teeth were bared, lips parted and nostrils flared as she gave off short, quick pants. Both hands were clenched and at either side of her head with her face turned far enough away that she wasn't directly facing him; her eyes stayed locked on his every movement from the corner of her very white sockets. Naruto inched closer and sniffed again, his ears laid back but his eyes hesitant, almost nervous as he inched closer, then he flinched back a half step before waiting a few minutes and reaching out with one hand as if to draw closer again.

The girl's breathing began to slow. She hadn't relaxed her posture, but her robes weren't rapidly rising and falling like the bellows at blacksmith's forge. This was a good sign, so Naruto took it very slowly. He leaned forward without moving his hands and feet, almost as if this was as close as he dared to come and sniffed her again from a distance. Something about his tentative behavior perked her interest and the girl's lips closed partially, her teeth unclenching enough to start worrying her lower lip. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she reached out with one balled fist, her own hand jerking back as if she wasn't sure this was a good idea, before her fingers uncurled showing her palm.

Naruto figured it was time to "ham up" the performance and try to win her past the fear that rolled off her body in waves. Fear produced sweat and too much fear was cloying, a bitter salty smell that stung his nose. So, Naruto sniffed as he got closer and sneezed, a high-pitched "Chhh!" sound that shook his head and made his Kitsune ears stand straight up, his eyes wide in mock surprise. The girl nervously chuckled after her hand jerked all the way back to her breast.

Perhaps she was trying to ease her own tension.

Perhaps she was afraid he'd start chewing on her arm.

Naruto rubbed the back of his hand across his nose and turned back to the frightened girl, his ears laying gently alongside his head as he inched his neck out again and tentatively sniffed for her, her hand slowly inching back out to meet him once more.

~I I I~

His eyes were such a deep blue but, in the middle where the pupils were ovoid, they were a rich golden color. _Is this a "Tenko?" Could this be one of the celestial foxes? Has Inari blessed my devotion with this encounter? _ Akio was beginning to hope that this was a good omen.

She decided she would try to be bolder with the Kitsune boy. _Etsudo would be green with envy!_ She said a quick prayer to Omoikane asking forgiveness for her vanity then slowly leaned forward to meet the encroaching spirit.

~I I I~

Naruto inched forward again until his nose touched her palm. He sniffed a few more times smelling her sweat, her fear, orange blossoms, and the smell of old lumber (must have been the stick she was holding). As her hand slowly turned palm up, his head tilted down, and he began to sniff along her forearm. She giggled softly, a sound he liked a lot actually, but didn't jerk away. When he got to her elbow, he decided to push things a bit faster (he could hear voices at the bottom of the path, someone saying they thought they'd heard "Akio" scream). That must be this girl.

He had a few minutes but not much more to win her over in the hopes of keeping his secret.

Naruto reached the crook of her elbow, which had bent due to the slightly ticklish sensation of him sniffing it, and as she pulled her arm closer to her side, his head followed along bumping against her chest. He was embarrassed at the contact, but she was too busy giggling to be offended as her other hand rested on top of his head inching its way to one of his ears. Feeling his blush blooming at contact with her soft chest, he covered his reaction up by sneezing once again and transforming into his combat form in a puff of sparkly smoke.

~I I I~

Tatsua eagerly leaned forward. They had heard the search party coming and wondered what the boy would do as his time ran out. She remained hopeful that she'd catch a break from hunting with the walking pheromone smokestack.

~I I I~

Akio coughed and waved away the smoke, so she could see. When the smoke cleared enough, she gasped aloud and uttered one word that made the Twins flinch, "TENKO!"

Naruto sat there in full two-tailed fox form, his golden coat rippling in the night breeze over densely-packed lean muscle. His azure eyes were turning more golden as his pupils began to expand allowing more light in the growing darkness. The girl was rapturous as her hands reached out and pulled the fox into a hug seemingly on impulse.

Naruto blinked in shock. Clearly her fear of the half-demon boy did not extend to the dangerous war fox that could easily rip her throat out. He stopped trying to figure it out the moment her hands started scratching behind his ears and the white fur under his chin.

It was heaven on earth. His eyes closed involuntarily, and his neck began to arch out as he leaned into her ministrations. What? What was going on back there?

His left hindquarter was convulsing against his wishes. _Traitor! _His mind screamed at the rebellious appendage… until she hit a certain spot in the middle of his back and his whole body twisted to the left in a curly-q causing him to collapse on the ground. Unphased, the girl switched both hands to scratch under his chin and along his belly. He was completely at her mercy, both hind legs kicking helplessly into the air as he involuntarily rolled over onto his back.

~I I I~

Tamami looked over to Tatsua with another grin.

Tatsua merely groused, _"Don't say it."_

"_We're having beef curry Monday night."_ Tatsua grumbled while Tamami turned back to take special note of where the girl was scratching that made Taichou so helpless in her grasp.

~I I I~

Akio was in love at first furball. His fur was sheer silk, the white underside the brightest she had ever seen. Her own pristine robes were dingy in comparison. The gold of his coat could have been spun from the metal for all she could tell. She could feel the powerful muscle underneath – which explained his amazing physical feats at the pool – but his furry face made her want to smoosh him like the stuffed animals she used to have as a child.

Slowly she stopped scratching his tummy until his leg stopped twitching (she found that adorable) and the fox's head perked to the side, his ears standing straight up as he watched her carefully. Slowly she ran her palm along his muzzle and he cooed. The fox cooed, and her heart melted. With a lazy roll, the golden creature stood up enough to nuzzle her cheek and push his head against her neck. She caught a whiff of something like cinnamon and musk. Bright girl that she was, she thought she remembered reading about a gland near the fox's cheek used in marking its mates and she blushed. Was this Tenko… marking her as his mate? She hugged him, her arms wrapping around the corded muscle of his neck and began to cry. Happy as she was she found the situation utterly ridiculous.

She was a shrine maiden, sworn to a life of dedication to her temple and free of worldly affections. She'd made the vow not two years ago after having lost what employment she could find (old men were perverted wretches) and now she was smitten with a trickster fox spirit. She playfully scratched his neck – there went that leg again – and pointed his muzzle directly into her face.

"If you will be my Tenko, then this will be our little secret, beautiful _seishin_."

Naruto chirped a happy bark, then jerked his head past the girl's shoulder and down the path. The voices were getting closer and now she could hear them as well. His ears lowered again, and he then started to back away, this time fear showing in his eyes.

~I I I~

Akio felt the animal tense and her eyes grew big with fear. As she looked over her shoulder where her beloved Tenko was looking, she could hear the voices from her shrine family and her eyes jerked back to the now clearly nervous spirit.

"Wait," she frantically whispered, "…do not go! Don't leave me! I'll keep you safe… I promise…. Wait!"

She couldn't hold him. With a powerful jerk from his forelegs, the muscular fox pulled away but stopped after a few short paces as his head snapped back to the teary Miko. He hopped forward once again and nuzzled her one more time, licking her face and neck before bounding into the brush and out of sight. The girl had one hand to her cheek and the other outstretched to the fading memory of her golden fox spirit.

"I hope you come to visit me again, Tenko-sama," she whispered. She giggled when she heard him yip once in the brush. Before she knew it, warm human hands were hugging her and checking her over for injury.

She ignored their questions and admonitions about running off late in the day. She was in a dream, walking on a cloud of happiness. As her hand came away from her face, she found several golden strands of fur and winced. She hadn't heard him yelp but she hoped she hadn't injured the kind spirit in her frenzied grip. She just wanted him to stay.

Akio was almost ashamed at how disappointed she was to see her fellow shrine maidens. As nice as they were, none of them were fox spirits… that she knew of.

Akio carefully gathered up the strands she could see and pulled a lock of her own hair out, carefully wrapping it around the silken fur so that it made a strand she could braid later. Her shrine mates could only look on puzzled by her behavior even as she rose and walked confidently down the path back to the shrine, the strand of fur clutched tightly in her hands and nestled between her breasts.

Naruto vowed to return one day as he watched her saunter off down the path. He could still smell her orange blossom shampoo as he turned and padded off on his way home. He'd had enough fun for one day.

By the time Neko came around the summer before his first year of the ninja academy, Naruto was a completely different seven-almost-eight-year-old.

~I I I~


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:**

Wrapping up the prep groundwork before we get into serious storytelling. Buckle up faithful readers…

* * *

**Chapter 9: A Good Day for Foxes**

~I I I~

* * *

By the time Naruto graduated from the civilian academy, he had given up on earning respect from the average civilian. All they saw was the "demon brat" and he had little patience for that.

It obviously didn't help matters that the twins would transform into female fox kits and ride around either wrapped around his neck or snuggled up in the front of his jacket. By this point, he was fast enough to avoid bullies and thugs. It was a simple matter to avoid injury from civilians and most shinobi up to low Chunin so there was little real threat - most serious shinobi had far more important things to concern themselves with besides an unwanted orphan and his pet fox.

He couldn't fight them, the shinobi… _yet_… and he didn't want to risk injury to the Twins or revealing his Kitsune secret. So, he chose discretion knowing that one day soon he wouldn't have to do either anymore.

Also, he had plenty of money to provide for the three of them. Interest earned from the twenty-five million Ryu settlement compounded nicely – _Neko_ found time to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the bank people and they seemed more than willing to let him get to his money these days. What he wouldn't give to see his village tormentors choke on their own spit if they knew he was wealthy.

No, what Naruto needed was closure. He needed to know those that hurt him on his sixth birthday had been properly dealt with and the vixen twins offered him a way to get just that.

The list of his tormentor's names was a poorly kept secret. EVERYONE knew exactly who they were because they never expected anything ill to happen to them. It was no secret that the council took up donations and paid their fines; their crimes cost them nothing, not even jail time. They were courted openly while merchants offered gifts of wine, women, and song. The whole village flaunted it in his face and took joy in the demon brat's suffering.

The _"Heroes of Konoha,"_ Hunters of the Demon they were called, and one of them was drinking and having a grand old time in the red-light district on one very rainy summer night. Apparently, it was a pattern of behavior he followed in his new celebrity status.

~I I I~

A tall man with black hair and dark eyes nodded to a sultry redhead with enticing curves wrapped snugly in equally-red silk that revealed almost half of her generous bosom. The gorgeous emerald-eyed creature stepped out from their hiding place in the alley across the street from the bar and sauntered seductively into the establishment. A few minutes later, the dark man stepped back into the alley and vanished from sight.

An hour later the drunken hero staggered out of the bar leaning heavily on the curvaceous crimson woman under his arm, his eyes lidded heavily with lust as he ogled her deep cleavage. He completely missed her shudder of disgust assuming it to be the cold rain and so he pressed her closer to his own body flush with the warmth of alcohol.

He never noticed how hollow her laughter was nor that he now laughed alone drunk off more than booze.

Into the dark cavern across the street they strolled without a care in the world. Several moments later, that same couple staggered out the far end of the alley and back into the dim streetlight there, the woman hungrily running her hands up and down the chest of the drunken male as she feverishly kissed his neck. The ANBU above, which had begun to ratchet up their prepared responses when they lost sight of him in the dark shadows of the alley, relaxed and settled in for the show.

With the curves on this one, it promised to be a very entertaining night. At least one of the SPECOPS duo was planning to ply her services once she'd washed the stink off from the drunken "hero."

Before long, however, the male angrily pushed her away and shouted in her face. He was angered at her request for Ryu. Didn't she know him? He was a hero! How dare she try to take away his hard-earned money.

She only laughed bitterly at that comment and asked what the going rate for murdering children was these days.

He drunkenly swung his arm but she ducked nimbly and ran away, her biting laugh taunting him and turning his face a bright red to match her hair.

She laughed again and tauntingly swayed her hips back the way she came turning left at the alley entrance before flirting her way off into the night. The drunken hero fought with his robes briefly before staggering off down the street in the opposite direction. By the time the ANBU reached the far end of the alley, he had vanished.

Panic set in almost immediately this time.

When no trace of him was found, they searched for the prostitute with no success. It was as if she'd been swallowed up by the night's rainstorm.

Returning to the alley, palms glowing with a faint light, the two-person squad eventually found his bloodied body resting between a couple of crates, curled into a fetal position with his hands clasped firmly between his legs. He was bleeding from the crotch but still alive and going into shock.

Leaping away wrapped in his Kitsune camouflage, Naruto chuckled bitterly. Tatsua's lessons in field dressing his kills had been very helpful. The bastard would survive but never be able to sire offspring, fitting punishment for a man willing to kill a defenseless child.

Much to T&I's disappointment, the victim could provide little useful information. He couldn't even see what happened in the cave-like darkness. His mind was blurry with alcohol before he had been pushed down in the dark alley, intoxicated to the point that he was almost clinically numbed to the sharp pain followed by a steady burning sensation between his legs - the only memories in his addled mind. The mind walkers found nothing useful to identify his attacker, not even a gloating voice to identify them.

The investigation stopped cold fairly early despite the Council's outrage.

T&I could not find the red-headed prostitute they pulled from Watanabe-san's memories and no other images were usable due to the heavy darkness in the secluded alley. Whoever did this was efficient and silent. His brain showed minute traces of residual chakra indicating genjutsu use but the only image was darkness, an inky blackness with no sound. He had been relieved of his money, so it was deemed "robbery with intent to maim or cause serious bodily injury."

Some T&I investigators joked often and liked to call it "robbery by angry hooker." Even heroes couldn't get away with being total jerks. In the end, the case was never solved.

Later that night after reuniting at Naruto's apartment, Tatsua joined him in the shower as they cleansed the taint of blood and the hero's scent of perversion from their bodies. For the briefest of moments, she could sympathize with his pain and chose not to torment him as they stood huddled together under the running water. For long moments, they simply held each other until the water ran cold and washed the boy's innocence down the drain with the last drops of pervert's blood. At the same time, his clothes were burned in the apartment complex incinerator by use of a very powerful _Katon_ jutsu courtesy of Tamami. They would later use the "hero's" money from the robbery to celebrate at Ichiraku's and the ramen stand would become the Kitsune favorite from then on.

One down and four more to go.

As an aside, Tatsua would increase the intensity of his taijutsu and kenjutsu training after that first kill since the rest of the list included shinobi targets. They would be considerably harder to deal with.

Coincidently, it was his increased time in late-night training sessions that would lead him to Higurashi-san and _Konoha Metals, Incorporated._

Afternoons during summer and school semesters belonged to Tamami and, through her patience and care, Naruto's chakra control grew exponentially. He'd mastered the three basic chakra control exercises of leaf floating, tree climbing, and water walking and she'd moved him to more advanced versions including the use of his Kitsune appendages. Tatsua had once entered the living room agape jawed to see one of his tails slapped flat along the ceiling while he dusted the light fixture. The basic exercises all gave way to interesting and more advanced combinations.

Early mornings and late evenings (long past the time training fanatics in green spandex packed it in) belonged to Tatsua and she took full advantage of it.

Free time prior to class was devoted strictly to physical development. Running, push-ups, sit-ups, handstand push-ups, pull-ups, tail ups (pull-ups with a single tail), and (once chakra control was back in play) hanging upside down from tree limbs using chakra to do similar exercises. Whenever possible, Tatsua strapped heavy objects to his body or had him carry large rocks she had him dig up from the earth or pry up from river beds. Aside from slowly churning away the layers of baby fat, it did wonders for his near Kage-level stamina and reserves and served to further reinforce his chakra control exercises with Tamami.

Tatsua wanted him to be unstoppable. So, she pushed with that goal in mind. As he got stronger, she upped the level of resistance and pushed him until he reached fatigue and failure. More often than not, she carried the boy home under Kitsune illusions, bathed him, and laid him to bed without Naruto stirring. It's a good thing they were using already heavily damaged or isolated training areas with low user traffic.

His taijutsu training continued in the evening, often with various handicaps like blindfolds or earplugs. By limiting one or more of his primary senses, Tatsua wanted to hone his remaining ones. It was while wearing a mask (to cover his nose) and earplugs that Naruto spotted a shiny reflection in the setting sunlight leading him to a half-buried kunai. There were a half-dozen such weapons scattered about, more kunai (some broken or chipped), shuriken, senbon and a partially-rusted tanto. Naruto pocketed what he could and quietly promised to bring a bag to collect more the next time they were there.

Over the first few weeks of summer break, Naruto's collection grew to five dozen shuriken of various sorts, three fuma shuriken, thirty kunai (most unusable), sixty senbon, three tanto, and one wakizashi with a corroded handle made of wood. It was as he was sorting out the keepers of the bunch and wondering what to do with the rest that he received a visitor at his door.

Tamami and Tatsua did an impromptu game of "_rock-paper-kunai_," their new favorite decision-maker, with which Tatsua smirked before changing into a kit bound for Naruto's neck (her favorite perch in this form). Tama-chan headed for the bedroom, fading from view and brushing her palm across his cheek as she passed by. Naruto shook his head for a second to clear the haze (and the resulting blush) then answered the door, a very startled _Neko_ lowering a set of knuckles already poised to knock again.

Even though her body stood at its normal state of rigid attention, her eyes narrowed visibly behind the mask once she saw the glittering eyes of the fox curled around Naruto's neck. Naruto figured it would be best to head off an argument over the fox and spoke first.

"Greetings _Neko_-nee-chan. Haven't seen you in a while."

He moved aside and opened the door for his guest. "Happy to be back from your patrol?"

"Hai, Naruto-Kun."

_'She is wary of foxes?' _He seemed confused by this.

_'Almost all of Konoha is wary of foxes, and most hate them unfairly.'_

Naruto did smile a bit at Tatsua's whispers in his mind. The new _transference seal_ inscribed right behind his left ear worked like a charm and allowed them to communicate silently just by pulsing a little chakra through the tenketsu near the base of his skull.

"Please rest a moment." Naruto dashed off to prepare some tea. Once his guest was comfortably situated, with a surprised nod for his hospitality, Naruto quickly went about his responsibilities as a good host.

Yugao, as she was known without the mask, settled into a chair at the table and raised an eyebrow behind her ANBU mask at the assorted collection of garbage shinobi weapons. Well, a couple weren't too bad off if you cleaned them up and sharpened out the nicks and surface rust, but by and large, they were utter garbage. Most looked like he dug them up from the ground. Good thing they were buying new gear today.

Tamami chimed in from the bedroom. _'If she, as an ally to the old one, reacts this strongly, how will normal villagers fare?'_ Naruto considered that for a minute before turning to face _Neko_ only to notice her eyes flitting from the fox around his neck to the cups in his hands.

"So, what can I do for you today nee-chan?"

She took the cup and traded him a few sheets of paper with the academy seal at the top. She used his distracted focus as an opportunity to quietly sniff the tea before setting the cup down. She didn't know that his Kitsune eyes took in her entire reaction.

Then he sighed internally. _'She doesn't trust us.'_ It was hard to accept after everything they had been through. He decided to keep things light.

"We need to find your supplies for your first year at the academy. Also, we'll need to finish your paperwork."

_Neko_ glanced at the fox again, its head now nestled under the boy's chin but its eyes never leaving her mask.

"Those papers have your schedule for the next year and what basic supplies we need to get you."

"Certainly. We can go after you're rested and finished your tea." _Neko_ nodded slightly at the boy's hospitality and manners. He seemed to have… grown… in the past year or so. This brought a smile to her face, one that he couldn't see behind her mask and didn't linger.

"Naruto. I have to ask…" She inclined her head to the fox on his shoulders, her tail wrapped protectively around his neck. Naruto understood the implied question.

"You're curious about Sua-chan?"

_Neko_ blinked.

"The fox around my neck?"

_Neko_ remembered that he couldn't see her facial expressions and nodded.

"Her name is Tatsua. You could say we found each other. She keeps me company and I take care of her." The boy absently stroked the fox's head just behind her left ear. The fox didn't exactly purr but made a pleasant chittering sound, one of the legs on the other side of his neck kicking ever so slightly.

While the sight warmed her heart, _Neko_ wasn't sure how the fox cub would be received, and full-grown foxes were rarely seen in Konoha for a reason.

"Are you prepared to deal with the consequences?"

Naruto's eyes hardened but he nodded once.

"Yup, it's my cross to bear but I'm not abandoning her. She accepted me, and I've done the same for her. That's all there is to it." His words pricked the ANBU's heart with a tinge of guilt.

_Neko_ set her cup down and rose from her chair heading for the door. Their adventure (for the day) was about to begin. Naruto frowned at the untouched tea and wondered once again if winning the respect of others was worth the uphill struggle.

_'**She was there for us, Kit. She deserves the benefit of the doubt.' **_Naruto gave the equivalent of a mental nod.

~I I I~

Reactions from the villagers varied, however, most were as he expected. Naruto was used to the hateful glares and muttered curses, though there were fewer with a full-fledged ANBU walking beside him. The outright looks of horror from people once they recognized the fox were definitely new. Some even ran away screaming.

Small children and teenage girls, however, were creatures all their own. Squeals of "Kawaaaaaiiii!" often precluded small mobs of young women reaching for anything soft to stroke or cuddle. Foxtails were obviously a big hit and the twins had fur like silk. It also made moving along the street a bit challenging.

After a few moments, _Neko_ would invariably disperse the crowd but Naruto found a few kit-stalkers following at a safe distance and more than a few of the new admirers glancing from the fox to his leaner face. Some even blushed. It was puzzling, to say the least.

People never blushed at him before.

Their first stop was for shinobi apparel and, unfortunately, the shop that served him upon his release from the hospital had been forced out of business, the now-empty storefront vacant with the "For Sale" sign still in the front window. It appeared that they were back to square one.

Several shops outright refused to serve the young man, much to _Neko's_ (and Tatsua's) growing frustration but, eventually, _Uhara's Fabrics_ was more than welcoming (Uhara had come from Grass country to set up shop so he was blissfully ignorant of the boy's history). Before long there were enough new clothes gathered for two weeks' worth of normal use and five sets of sturdy shinobi trousers and shorts with light vests, mesh shirts, thigh holsters, open-fingered gloves with reinforced plates and all the required trimmings. Even better was the noticeable lack of orange in his ninja attire excepting the odd dark orange tee-shirt.

Uhara would keep his business from then on.

_Neko_ considered that a victory and, as Naruto was trying to figure out how they were going to get it all back to his apartment, she solved the next issue by removing a scroll and rolling it open on the counter, an odd design laying in the center of it. Once the clerk neatly folded his purchases and stacked them on the symbol, _Neko_ placed both palms on the surface and funneled a small amount of chakra into the scroll. Everything vanished with a slight sucking sound of air.

Naruto's eyes grew rather large as she rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the boy, who promptly stuck it in his backpack.

Tatsua sent a pulse message to both Naruto and Tamami. _'We need to work on Taichou's seals, nee-chan. They can be very useful.'_

"We have two more stops for supplies, Naruto." _Neko_ hoisted two more scrolls. With a friendly wave to the clerk, the two left and headed to Higurashi's armory, _Konoha Metals, Inc_.

Higurashi, while a long-time resident of Konoha, didn't object to the child. In fact, he had the opposite response in that he visibly started and muttered underneath his breath, "Minato." He didn't know that Naruto, under a Kitsune illusion, could hear him easily, and _Neko_ didn't know that his Kitsune eyes could see her entire body twitch for just a moment since she could read lips. Higurashi caught the very minute shake of _Neko's_ head and shook his mind free.

Naruto filed that away for later digestion and walked in with his mouth wide open and eyes wandering from shelf to shelf to wall to wall.

His budget allowed for some discretionary spending as, from what _Neko_ understood, the envelope she carried was supposed to be used to outfit him for class. So, once everything necessary had been purchased (three high-quality sets of shuriken and two sets of kunai), Naruto asked about training weights, something that caught the ANBU veteran by surprise. She had expected the boy to ask for a sword or something crazy like a naginata.

When the traditional bulky suits of pouched wrist and ankle wraps didn't strike his fancy, Naruto asked about weights using seals. Old man Higurashi studied the boy for about twenty seconds before reaching underneath his case cabinet and pulling out a smaller box with four shiny sheets of metal bound by reinforced leather straps, each strap with four rows of heavy hasps allowing adjustment as the trainee grew and developed. On the surface of each flat section of rectangular metal, in a shade or two darker than slate, sat a crimson seal with three dragon heads curving around the edges in a counter-clockwise direction.

"Are you sure? You could buy a decent sword for the price of these weights." Naruto shook his head and happily closed the lid on the box.

"I'll get more benefit out of these before I'm ready to use a blade." Both Higurashi and _Neko_ nodded once in agreement. The boy had a surprisingly mature mind to make that decision unprompted. Yugao, being an acknowledged swordmaster, knew most students didn't get a sword until their growing slowed unless their families were extremely wealthy. Good blades were not cheap to come by.

He would be an interesting one to watch at the academy.

"Eventually, when I save up enough, I may come back for that sword." Naruto conveniently left out the fact that he could buy out the storefront many times over if he wanted to.

"Oi, one question Higurashi-san." Naruto didn't want to mess up his new relationship with the armorer by being rude.

"Do you take in old weapons and metal at all?" Naruto held up one of the chipped Kunai he'd found in the training areas.

_Neko_ raised an eyebrow beneath her mask remembering the mess on his kitchen table.

Higurashi took it briefly and glanced over it.

"Yes, I do, from time to time, when I need new stock and can melt down discarded items for usable ore. If it's salvageable, I can clean it up when I get the chance, or my daughter can help. Usually, I take bigger payloads than single items, but we can work something out."

Naruto nodded. "I have about one hundred kilos of broken and discarded stuff I'd like to barter with." The armorer's eyes lifted upwards and he chewed his lip while considering something.

"How would you like to earn some extra coin towards that sword?"

"I'm listening." Unsure if this was the right thing to do, Higurashi plowed on.

"With my daughter working here and trying to keep up with her studies, I'm a bit short-handed. If you work here part-time, helping to keep the forges stocked and minor repair work, plus helping me with things like sorting and processing these scrap pieces I mentioned, you can pocket some extra money towards that sword and maybe I can get caught up."

Tatsua trilled happily, her head perking up and her ears pivoting forward in the kit-like face of surprise. She would need to sweeten the pot for Tamami to agree to the new schedule, but this was a chance too good to pass up.

Naruto pretended to consider the offer for a few seconds before holding out his hand to the grizzled craftsman. Inside he was happier than he'd been in years and, if he was very lucky, might actually pick up a decent trade if this ninja-Taichou thing didn't work out. Once the man's paw of a hand enveloped his smaller one, the deal was sealed.

He would start this weekend with full days on Saturdays (the shop was closed on Sunday except for emergency out fittings supporting active missions) and an hour starting at four in the morning plus evenings after classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Paying for the purchases, _Neko_ sealed them up and tossed the scroll to the boy. The last stop was books, supplies and possibly a meal before they went their separate ways.

Once his purchases were all wrapped up (_Neko_ had to get involved when the bookseller tried to sell Naruto altered texts with incorrect information), Naruto found himself strolling back through the streets on his way home… via Ichiraku's. He felt he was due a small celebration especially since _Neko's_ emergency summons to Hokage Tower cut their lunch date short.

The prospective academy student chuckled at the thought of having a lunch date with a woman three times his age.

Tatsua nudged his cheek and glanced to the other side of the street.

It took a second to spot where the disguised Kitsune was looking but, once he did, it was impossible to miss the dark-haired girl about his age trying to look inconspicuous at the nearest storefront. It might have looked more believable if the fully coiffured bluenette was not looking at a men's toupees and fake beards vendor. Naruto chuckled and kept walking, a memory from the park during his fifth-year flitting about in his mind.

"_I will explain who she is later."_

Tatsua nuzzled his right cheek and laid her head back down, her eyes going back to hawking the street for threatening villagers as some had grown bolder without _Neko_ along. Before long, the two found themselves seated at their favorite ramen stand.

More aware of the fox's ears, Naruto placed Tatsua in his lap and hailed the younger hostess. "Oi, Ayame-nee-chan!" The girl's face lit up when she saw their favorite returning customer just before she saw the kit and squealed like some of the girls still trailing behind him. As she was cooking, she didn't pet the fox but did come back with pieces of grilled beef for Tatsua to nibble on. Tatsua laid the cute on extra thick and rose up on her hind legs hold the food with her front paws.

The "cute" hit ridiculous levels and much squealing could be heard from around the corner of the stand.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Naruto-kun. Why are you hiding from me?" Ayame teased.

Naruto looked sheepish and apologized stating he'd been busy trying to make it into the ninja academy, something he'd finally achieved. That statement brought about a round of cheers from Ayame and Teuchi, who was working the grill behind the counter.

"Now that you're going to be a big shinobi, you should visit us more often so that we know you're okay."

Naruto nodded in agreement and heartily dug into his first bowl for the night. There was history with him and the Ichiraku family and he wanted to keep that bond if nothing else in this village. These people were family.

Ayame kissed his forehead and went back behind the counter to which Tatsua warbled at his mushrooming blush.

"Shush you!" Naruto whispered before he tucked back into his ramen.

Five bowls later, Naruto was safely back across town and in his apartment building, a good day safely behind him and looking forward to the rest of summer break. It lasted all of three minutes until Tamami heard of the new deal with the weapon's proprietor.

First, her eyebrows knitted together, the corners of her lips lowering in a thin-lined scowl. Was that a flash of amber light in her eyes? By the time her arms crossed in front of her bust, a view he was quickly becoming a fan of, she was the model image of female displeasure. Was she… _growling_ now?

"Now how am I supposed to keep up your training if I have to lose my time slot to the forge?"

"Simple nee-chan," both of them turned to Tatsua, "I surrender my time on the days he is not at the forge and you get the whole day. The forge is physical conditioning at its finest, so I take the odd days and you get the even."

The effect on Tamami was immediate and her posture relaxed back into her squealing cuddle bunny…er, Kitsune mode. Naruto endured the face smothering with aplomb and silently signaled his thanks to Tatsua behind the taller Kitsune's back.

~I I I~

The blond found several ways, when not training with the Twins, to pass the summer days idly by. As he often did during the cycle of the moon just as the sun began to set, he found himself heading back to a familiar pool. Most of the time he'd just go to watch her, hiding in the brush as she looked about for her golden Tenko. Only when the moon was full, would he show himself, often using his Kitsune genjutsu to appear in a shimmering mist as the golden two-tailed fox. He saved those days for the really hard times when his belief in his fellow Konohans was at its lowest.

He learned as much as he could about her during their one-sided conversations, rarely assuming his Hanyou form because the urge to kiss or be kissed by the pretty Miko was often too strong a temptation. As it was, she lavished plenty of chaste kisses upon his furry brow. For several visits, she had tried to give him a name, most of which he objected to with a cute display of lowering his muzzle to the ground and placing one paw over it. Their way of communicating became a game in and of itself.

She settled on "Taiyo" because of the color of his fur and her cheerful voice calling for her "Taiyo-kun" kept a lively hop in his four-legged strut. He liked having someone (other than the Twins) happy to see him even if only once every odd number of weeks.

Many times, he visited the shrine while cloaked in camouflage and kept an eye on the girl, often curious as to her duties and what served to pass her time. In indirect ways, he helped her without being a nuisance, such as helping that arrogant boy from a rich merchant clan to find "…_another hobby with which to pass his time_."

Naruto had not appreciated the boy's cavalier description to his toadies when asked about his interest in the "lovely little peasant girl." He supposed unexplainable daytime nightmares (helped by a little genjutsu) anytime the creep's mind started to wander to the cute Miko during the temple's religious services would help with that problem so Naruto, being the helpful seishin that he was, was very happy to keep the handsy pest away.

He even considered that one jutsu involving a twenty-foot glowing and golden Tenko breathing fire and chasing the boy endlessly through the streets an inspired revelation, if he did say so himself.

Most of the time, he just watched from a distance and, when he felt brave enough, visited her on the full moon to enjoy her company. At other times, he dove into his work at the forge to occupy his mind. By the time academy classes started in September, Naruto was solid mass of muscle, thick and heavily corded. Looking at his daily routine, it made perfect sense even if his rate of growth seemed a bit unnatural.

Days started at four sharp, with a fresh mask covering his lower face to keep the dust out of his lungs. He was responsible for maintaining the two smaller forges and filling the water vats for cooling and tempering. He spent his entire hour stocking the cooling vats, coal hoppers, charcoal and coke bins (used when higher temperatures were used for special projects), scrap ore caskets, and cleaning the slurry from the forges. Once the material stock was replenished, he began hauling water up from the larger underground vats. Once all of the trenches and reserve tuns were filled, he'd grab the scrapers and begin chipping up slag so that he could brush the forge's bowl out along with any clinkers (hard, brittle pieces broken free from tempering) leftover from the previous day's work.

Once the forges were cleaned out, he'd grab one of two shovels, the first to fill the forge with either powdery coke (if there was a special project that needed a better forging base) or charcoal, and the second shovel was used to layer on coal. With that finished, Naruto lowered the hood and checked with Higurashi-san before heading off to the training grounds with his arms feeling as if they were dragging the dirt at his feet.

Reinforcement training was a great surprise, but he had to promise not to use it in his first year of Academy unless it would either save his life or Tatsua gave him permission (she didn't want him killing another student).

Naruto was sure he'd be dead at this point if not for his enhanced Kitsune physiology and Kyuubi's healing.

The afternoon was no less grueling. Part of his job included picking through the scrap piles and finding pieces that could be melted down into usable ingots, which he would spend the second half of the day after class doing. If the piece was too small to bother with the smelting test, he'd run it against the grinding wheel; if the sparks were brilliant and sparkled more off the wheel, it was high-carbon metal.

For those scrap pieces that looked questionable or shattered once he took an iron-shod hammer to them, he'd chuck them into the purification pile, which sat next to a large cauldron (those he would melt in a large group skimming off the slag that formed) used to liquify the compound until the metal glowed a bright yellowish-white in the smelting pot, indicating that the iron content had dropped below one-and-a-half percent and making the resultant mixture less likely to crack or break under stress. This he would later pour into molds to make more raw stock ingots for Higurashi-san to work with. It was more science than art at his skill level and, should a piece shatter in crafting, he'd spend more time at the smelting pot re-mixing the steel content, something he did often at first.

Once a month Tenten would take him to the outskirts of Konoha to their tanning shed. The first time she took him, he could smell the chemicals from over a mile away when a good gust of wind shifted, and the funk hit him nose-on. It was the smell of blood, fur, and (strangely enough) salt. Lots and lots of salt.

Tenten laughed at his overly sensitive sense of smell while Naruto firmly set his mask against his face followed by a flash suppression jutsu, which impressed her. While rolling up their sleeves, she walked him through the process and a brief history. Naruto learned more than just how to make harnesses, bracers, and bandoliers that summer as his crafting knowledge took a considerable turn for the better.

While the heavily perfumed smells of the vegetable tannin and other alkalis used in the Higurashi tanning process weren't horrible - just overwhelming to a Kitsune, the ancient way of tanning leather used to be considered so horrible smelling that most tanneries were booted out of whatever town they cropped up next to. When Tenten explained why, Naruto had to clamp down on his gag reflex to keep from retching with his arms up to the elbows in the tanning vats filled with hides – Tenten didn't tell him they used vegetable compounds until he'd been at it an hour already.

Apparently curing leather for armor and such used to be done with animal feces, some ancient cities using children as "dung gatherers." Even worse, they used an alkaline lime mixture made from urine collected in something called "piss pots" by washerwomen to remove the fur from cured leathers. Naruto was much happier to hear that the leathers used by the Higurashi family were cured with salt before being soaked in one of two curing mixtures of either a chestnut extract or seeds from the _Caesalpinia Spinosa_ tree, a much harder to obtain and more expensive concoction.

It was also considerably less smelly than smushing poop.

Tenten showed him how properly soak the hides in vats of warm water before removing them to use flat sticks for beating out as much salt and residual gore as possible. They were then soaked in a lime mixture for half an hour before they laid them over a workhorse and began scraping off any residual fur, a process she called "scudding." The furs would get soaked again in a neutralizing solution before being moved to a tanning bath. There they kneaded the furs with their hands, and sometimes their feet, for two to three hours before stretching the skins in hanging racks. Once the leather reached the desired texture, the skins were laid out and trimmed to the desired shape. Naruto was very impressed with Tenten's speed as well as her ability to produce very little waste.

He was also glad that this was only a once per month event.

Straight from there, Tatsua ran him around Konoha for five laps, since he was warmed up, and every time he dropped 15 seconds or more from his time she added another lap. What followed for the next two hours was an additional hour of conditioning complete with weights, currently at twenty-five kilos apiece, followed by an hour of sustained reinforcement plus speed drills.

Reinforcement drills consisted of either him beefing up his body while she pummeled him with whatever was handy or her piling heavy rocks on his back while he tromped around the clearing. It was brutal and produced non-stop anime tears for the young orphan who, at this point, just wanted a bath, a good meal, and a soak in his tiny onsen.

Most days it was a quick bite after class and it then off to the shop. He'd fully taken over keeping the forges stocked from Tenten, Higurashi-san's daughter, and spent the vast majority of the time either in the back or making deliveries (under henge).

He was learning a considerable amount in the forge with the basics. No actual crafting work fell his way, but he was placed in charge of restocking _nabe-gane_ (re-melted pig-iron) and _hocho-tetsu _(low-carbon steel) ingots from damaged and broken pieces. Very few high-carbon pieces were available from broken stock, but it was easy enough to melt down metal chunks and skim impurities with a metal skimmer. He was also charged with general repairs for customer-provided inventory – basically, grinding, polishing or general weapon upkeep and maintenance. With his growing familiarity in leatherwork, he began to pick up repairs to leather-reinforced clothing and weapon sheaths for knives and small blades.

The education was a huge benefit in keeping up his own gear and weapons plus Higurashi let him use the workshop when things were slow. When things were really slow, the old man began teaching him new things, like how to turn a broken sword into a tanto blade. There were risks, as the broken tip never had the integrity of a fully forged blade depending on how it broke in the first place, but the cheaper cost stalled the need for buying an expensive blade and beat leaving a swordsman undefended while searching for a replacement.

Naruto also found the blade better suited to his shorter height. He even found that he favored the _Shobu_-style blade over the distinct angle between the cutting edge and the pointed section of the _Shinogi Zukuri._ When the time came for him to make a blade, he had a good idea of what his first one would be.

His going to the varied training grounds continued to yield usable items which, in turn, yielded him his own supply of usable ingots for his own projects in addition to extra coin from the stocks he traded to Higurashi for either store credit or hard cash. The cash he made from his labor went directly into the fund used to buy things for his apartment and taking care of his vixen nee-chans.

Life was good.

Then the first day of class at the ninja academy started.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes: Tradeskills and Other Nerd-ery**

I admit am a nerd that likes the technical skills needed to make an independent and fully functional shinobi, or, in this case, Kitsune. The Twins are responsible for rounding out his skills and they've brought to the table the skills they've had to pick up in order to survive. For Tatsua, picking up an apprenticeship from a master is the proverbial icing on the cake especially since he doesn't have anyone willing to share with him in the village.

It also provides an opportunity to show Naruto's growth over time instead of instantly making him a mega-powered juggernaut prior to ever leaving the academy. Character depth, and a plausible way to acquire those skills, is important to me as a writer.

_Ja Ne!_

~Siva'a


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: First Impressions**

~I I I~

* * *

**~ Hokage's Office, 0600 Hours ~**

It was far to early to be moving about in Kakashi's opinion. Unfortunately, when an ANBU squad delivers you to the "Old Man" despite your personal preferences, you generally _hop-to_.

It wasn't all bad. He rather enjoyed viewing that tasty treat sitting right outside his office door. She was just his speed.

"Glad that you could join me for this brief discussion," the withered voice of the Hokage snapped him out of his petite daydream.

To his left were pretty much all of the potential Jounin instructors from what he could see and the geezer's office was packed.

What? Just because he was being forced to _hop-to_ didn't mean he couldn't be the last one in the office.

Kakashi still had a reputation to think of.

Point of fact, he was having a really difficult time paying attention to the "Rah-Rah!" speech they were getting. What was this one? Version seven? They all sounded the same after some point._ 'Do well. Never flag. Tend to that Fire thing.'_

Kakashi barely withheld his sigh.

It wasn't that he didn't care about his comrades. He just cared about his precious books more. Books never talked back. Books never put their cold, clammy feet on you early in the morning when they wanted to cuddle. More importantly, books didn't burn through your cash preventing you from buying more books.

He was ever so relieved when the dismissal came, his chakra already pooling for the sealless Body Flicker that would grant him blessed freedom for the rest of the day. He could already smell the fresh pages of his afternoon's guiltless pleasure and that's why the delay cost him.

"I need Asuma, Gai, Kakashi, and Kurenai to please stay for a moment. There is something I'd like you to do..."

Eye closed and teeth gnashed together, Kakashi barely kept his agonized groan in check. Why did your superiors always make it sound like they weren't ordering you to do something they knew you didn't want to do in the first place? It wasn't like you ever had a choice, right?

~III~

It was decided that the first few days of school would be sans training so Naruto could settle into a rhythm. Tama-chan would go to class in the morning and they would switch out at lunch so Sua-chan could be there for afternoon sparring. Bento in hand and fox on neck, Naruto got to class a good half hour early, so he could observe students as they arrived.

From his lessons with Kyuubi and the books he'd read, he recognized at least one Hyuuga and the crest for the Uchihas on the back of a boy with black hair shaped oddly like a duck's bottom. The platinum blonde mop on a rather loud female brought back unpleasant thoughts of the Yamanaka he still needed to find, but he couldn't recognize the pink-haired banshee standing next to her – they appeared to be arguing over and giggling at the duck-haired Uchiha boy. Naruto subconsciously patted down his own gaggle of spikes before moving on.

The larger boy with a bag of chips stuck in his face could have been an Akimichi and the scraggly one with the dog on his head was most likely an Inuzuka, but that was as far as he could go with the _Great Clans in History_ books from his summer reading.

It didn't matter.

Naruto was looking to assess his classmates before he decided anything. Maybe they wouldn't be total arses like most of the adults.

With a disinterested grunt, the boy rose from his spot and strolled into the building, his eyes lingering on the Hyuuga female as he passed by. On a whim, he winked at her and chuckled as she did her best tomato imitation.

He pointedly ignored the silent stares of the kids from civilian families as he walked inside to find a seat.

As he was walking into the classroom marked on his schedule, his skin tingled bringing him to a stop. He sniffed and smelled the soft scent of floral soap and a chemical he couldn't identify. Slowly he looked to his right to the empty front corner of the room and noticed the very faint trace lines of someone camouflaged there. With a smirk and a shake of his head, the boy strolled over to a seat halfway up the middle row of the class and settled in to watch the show.

In that same corner, a very surprised Yuhi Kurenai held her breath wondering whether or not her genjutsu was failing. Looking at the two, male shinobi sharing her illusion, both now looking at her in confusion, they settled in to watch the new students with renewed interest.

Kids began to file in most not noticing the hidden trio in the corner – the Inuzuka paused when his dog barked at the corner and sniffed hesitantly before moving on but that was the extent of his interest. The Uchiha sauntered over to the far wall in the front and straight away set himself to ignoring everyone else in the class. It didn't take long for the rest of the herd to file in afterward, the mass of fangirls (shinobi and civilian alike) achieving maximum density around the emo clan boy. Bringing up the rear, a very red-faced Hyuuga slipped in, paused just off to the side of Naruto's row, her index fingers waging war for dominance in front of her bulky jacket, before "_eeping_" quietly and hurrying up to the row seat directly behind him.

Naruto chuckled quietly to himself and, in the corner, Kurenai's face lit up with surprise for the second time in five minutes. The blond Genin-to-be was just happy that she wasn't fawning over the overly dramatic Uchiha.

The kids settled into a rhythm, conversations meandering aimlessly until one of the fangirls noticed Tamami around Naruto's neck and pointed. There was a great sucking in of air before the tumultuous squealing that followed was enough to set every hair on his head standing on edge. They were saved before a love-filled fawning could occur, thankfully, by their first instructor of the day.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" The resulting silence was deafening as butts repeatedly thumped into seats. After a few tense seconds, the stern-looking instructor's face, made fiercer by the nasty scar crossing the bridge of his nose, broke into a gentle smile and his mood abruptly mellowed.

"Welcome students. I am your homeroom instructor, Umino Iruka. For the next four years, I will be your primary instructor in ninjutsu, history, and shinobi tactics - the basic lessons. More advanced studies will be addressed by another instructor during your final two years. You will address me as sensei or Iruka-sensei. My co-instructor Mizuki-sensei will join us and take over in the afternoon as your combat instructor." He paused to make sure he still had their attention, his gaze lingering on the container for the briefest of moments with a slight wrinkling of the brows.

Despite the brief pause, Naruto noticed and frowned in return.

"You will attend other classes for…"

Naruto partially listened, his eyes glancing back from the scar crossing just under the instructor's eyes to the corner again. Someone shifted their feet. He could also feel a tingling sensation between his shoulder blades, a sensation that came and went and made him want to turn around. It faded just as Iruka sensei pulled his attention back to the front of the room.

"That said, why don't we all take a minute to briefly introduce ourselves. Stand up so everyone can see you, state your name, your likes, your dislikes, any hobbies you want to share, any big goals or dreams, and any ninjutsu you know – just so I can get a feel for what I'm working with." He looked to the far corner.

"Why don't we start with you." The emo boy stood up with a whiny pout.

The fangirls cooed like it was a programmed response.

"Uchiha Sasuke, not much to like or dislike and my life is centered around finding one man in particular (Kakashi sighed at this). As an Uchiha, I favor my clan's fire techniques, and I know a couple of Katon jutsus," he sniffed loudly in a very self-satisfied manner and the herd of fangirls sighed dreamily, "…and look forward to awakening my Sharingan."

From there the process worked its way around the room.

"Haruno Sakura…" Nothing threatening, just annoying but now he had a name for the pinkette fangirl.

"Yamanaka Ino…" Naruto's eyes wrinkled in disdain again but noted her clan's mind control techniques. She would bear watching.

"Aburame Shino…" Naruto noted that the boy used bugs. That would be interesting to see in combat. Tamami shivered and absent-mindedly scratched to rid herself of the odd bug-induced itch. She hated the feel of anything crawling around in her fur.

"Inuzuka Kiba and my partner Akamaru…" Naruto's eyes turned deathly cold when the boy smirked and said he enjoyed his family's yearly fox hunt. All heads turned to Naruto, and the fiercely-rumbling fox kit nestled in his jacket, who just stared with unblinking, deathly cold eyes until the dog boy coughed and sat down.

Iruka attempted to move the group past the dog student's attempt to get a rise out of the Kyuubi vessel. The last thing he needed was the second great Kyuubi-apocalypse beginning in his classroom.

Deep in her now refurbished cage, Kyuubi memorized the dog nin's face and dreamed wonderful tortures involving making new lyre strings out of his intestines. She didn't even play the lyre… but she would learn for this.

"H-H-Hyuuga Hi-Hi-Hinata…" Her face turned a beat red when he turned around to look at her and she swayed a little, stuttering her way through her introduction. He found it cute. He found her cute. Tamami warbled again, and several fangirl coos came from the other side of the room, several hands clutching reflexively in need of fluffy cuteness to cuddle.

With the exception of a few more clan kids sharing his trio of desks, he ignored the rest as inconsequential. Then he stood and, with a final glare at the dog boy, turned to Iruka sensei.

"Uzumaki Naruto and I like training, being an apprentice blacksmith, and my nin-ken, Tatsua, who is an excellent judge of character. If she likes you, then I like you." Having decided that both Kitsune would go by Sua-chan's name at the academy, he scratched behind the fox's ear and she trilled happily (insert more female cooing).

"I dislike close-minded people that can't see me for the person I am and ignorant bullies." Here he pointedly looked at Kiba who frowned again. "Especially the smelly ones that need a flea bath." He glanced pointedly at the Inuzuka again. Kiba snarled in return but kept his seat.

"I used to have a goal but now I'm following… a new path in life and I'll see where it takes me. As for ninjutsu, I don't have a clan or family to teach me, so I train myself in genjutsu and focus on my elemental affinities." He sat down, his face emotionless through the whole litany except for the warning glances to the dog nin.

_**'What do you think you're doing, Kit?'**_

Naruto couldn't help the smirk growing on his face. _'Just wait for it, Kyuu-chan.'_

Kurenai nodded as that first brush with the blond made more sense now. She was anxious to find out what he could do with genjutsu without having had a real teacher. Her palms were literally itching.

"That's very good every- WAIT! Naruto, did you say, 'elemental _affinities_"?" Naruto blinked in feigned shock but nodded. "As in…_multiple_?"

"Hai, Iruka-sensei."

_**'Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiit...'**_

He inwardly chuckled. _'Too late, the deed is done and I can't back down now.'_ He pointedly ignored the disapproving glare being sent at him by the fox kit snuggled in his jacket.

Iruka was gob-smacked and Mizuki had a look of open disbelief on his face.

To be fair, they had good reason to be so put out, as it were. While shinobi hadn't mastered most aspects of chakra and its uses, there was enough general knowledge to indicate that his statement, without evidence of divine intervention, was blatantly impossible. Even if he was part of the less than one-percent of shinobi that possessed three or more chakra affinities at the beginning of their career, the Law of Opposites would decree that the fifth and final element would be initially denied him simply because of the opposing affinities occluding at least one element.

For instance, _Katon_ was diametrically opposed to _Suiton, _was at least hindered by _Doton_ and ambivalent towards _Raiton_. Not all of them played well together despite the possibility that a combined result could occur with enough patience and chakra. It simply meant that it would have to be either brute forced or trained up since it would not and should not occur naturally.

At least not without a Kekkei Genkai to help it along and _everyone_ knew that Naruto just wasn't that fortunate, not their village pariah.

What none of them knew was that he'd already had this discussion with his tenant and live-in caretakers during his earlier training sessions. As part of developing his _Reika_ network, the one in his tails, Tamami had obtained several sheets of chakra paper for testing purposes. She wanted to demonstrate the differences in a way he'd remember hoping it would help him retain the information Kyuubi-sama had provided.

The first time she'd asked him to channel chakra into one of the specially treated squares, she'd made him promise to resist channeling any chakra from his tails through the Modulus Gland. He had to do his dead-level best to keep the two sources isolated, something he used a couple of trial-runs to purge his system since he often streamed chakra from both sources throughout the day in order to get used to blending the two.

After burning through his readily mixed supply, he timidly took up the square with a thumb and forefinger then pushed the smallest amount of chakra he could into it.

The paper shredded itself into tassels right before the upper left corner burst into a tiny flame the size of a candle. Congratulating him on having a ridiculously strong Fuuton affinity backed by a weak Katon strain, most likely due to the nine-tails in his gut, she again asked him to push chakra into a second sheet using only the chakra he could draw from his tails.

You couldn't have asked for a more different result, one that surprised Naruto to the current day. So why not have a little fun with his snooty classmates?

And thus the Prankster King from Hell was officially born.

"That's impressive Naruto." Iruka's voice snapped him back to his current audience. "To have one affinity and know it at your age is very good. To have two is remarkable. Three or more would put you into pretty elite company."

Naruto only shrugged as if it were no big deal so Iruka pushed a little bit. "So, tell us then Naruto. Which ones do you have?"

He calmly looked up from his fox and replied, "All of them." The gasps from the empty corners of the room were lost to the angry cries from students calling foul and Kiba yelling swear words related to farm animal excrement. Iruka quieted them down by clapping his hands together. Mizuki chose that moment to leave the room not wanting to be anywhere near the demon cur lest it contaminates him.

"Okay, not all of them. Just the core five: _Katon, Fuuton, Suiton, Doton, and Raiton_. I clearly can't perform elemental jutsus requiring _Kekkei Genkai _as I do not have one… that I know of."

Kiba took the time to voice his opinion. "C'mon sensei! Don't tell me you're buying this crap?!"

"There is one way to find out for sure Kiba." Iruka went behind his desk, reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a thin, waxy piece of paper Naruto was more than familiar with.

He pointedly ignored the glare from the tiny fox chewing angrily on his fingers as her form of displeasure.

"Come down here Naruto." A moment later, Iruka was turning him to face the class.

"This is chakra paper. By funneling chakra into it and watching how it reacts, we can tell what elemental affinity a person has. For the five prime elements that Naruto listed…"

Iruka outlined the possible outcomes then handed the paper to Naruto and asked him to push chakra through his hand into the paper. If he had been working on elemental affinities this would be a simple task. Almost as an afterthought, the Chunin instructor walked to the far side of Naruto away from the entrance – the boy presumed it was so the spectators near the door could see.

Once Naruto pushed his chakra into the paper (as he had done in his exercise with Tamami), it promptly split neatly into four strips before each reacted differently; one crumbled, one wrinkled, one burst into a bright blue flame, and the last strip turned into a soggy mess. Iruka's jaw nearly hit the floor and all of the students in the class (except for Hinata) sat there with blank stares on their faces.

Hinata clapped happily in her seat, which earned her a friendly smile from her distant crush.

Naruto handed the paper back to the instructor, who took it and stared blankly into the other corner of the room before trudging quietly back to his chair.

He figured it was a suitable prank for the crap he'd most likely receive in school expecting his stay to be no different than his time in the civilian academy. Why not liven it up especially with his new genetic advantages?

Using a Kitsune's tail to release jutsu, since they didn't use hand seals or verbal components, meant that the chakra had to be molded and shaped internally to the organ before being released. In theory, every Kitsune could develop the ability to mold all five elements, even if they only had a single tail, but that meant generalization as the appendage needed to be equally efficient at creating the desired effect(s).

Given the very cut-throat nature of Kitsune society, they tended to use specific tails to specialize in a particular element reducing the time needed to mold, for example, Doton chakra as their tails, and the chakra network inside them, tended to memorize specific molding patterns much like muscle memory or the memory foam of an extremely comfortable mattress. The more a specific tail utilized one and only one form of elemental chakra, the easier and faster it became for that tail to repeatedly do so.

Exactly like training in a primary elemental affinity.

Fortunately for what snooty Kitsune called the "Purebloods," or those Kitsune capable of manifesting more than two tails, they could afford to specialize in multiple elements making them more dangerous than the common fox youkai.

Other than developing his primary, Naruto decided he'd avoid assigning specialties to a given tail and used his extra limbs to magnify his Fuuton whenever he could. Perhaps he might find someone willing to teach him something this time around.

He would have ceased worrying about that if he could have observed the behavior of the Jounin observing his class on day one.

The instructors hidden in the corner promptly started a game of "_rock, paper, kunai"_ to see who could call dibs on the blonde wonder after graduation. Kurenai did a happy dance as her rock smashed Kakashi's kunai in utter defeat.

Kakashi frantically signed, _'Best five out of seven?'_ Kurenai waved him off with an evil smirk while he pouted like a five-year-old, especially since he tried to cheat and still lost!

Iruka did his best to recover from the shock and spent the next two minutes fending off students clamoring to know their affinities. With a firm "Not today," he explained the rest of the day's schedule and his study plan for the year.

They would have different instructors for the supplemental classes (tactical mathematics, history, and biologics) but shinobi civics, survival training, and ninjutsu was Iruka's domain. Naruto was looking forward to the classes on traps (as these would help his pranking) and survival training. Tatsua and he had been spending every weekend in different training grounds living off the land and hunting game. To be honest, he just liked being away from the village since his stress dropped drastically and he could relax – he didn't mind animals trying to kill him since that was their nature. Your own villagers trying to kill you, repeatedly, just tended to rub you the wrong way.

He noticed a pattern with their "elective-only-not-so-much" periods beginning with combat mathematics and Kawasaki-sensei. Not two minutes into the class he had been accused of being disruptive and sent to stand in the corner. Looking up from his notes, pen hovering above the scroll and mouth agape, Naruto frowned and weighed the benefit of arguing over the injustice. The instructor only sneered in victory and pointed to the corner again.

The still hidden instructors observing from the corner did take note of the grotesque parody of justice, several deciding to bring the issue up with the Hokage given his overall responsibility for the academy. An instructor working to undermine a future Genin was a threat to the entire village.

Once the boy was safely facing away from the lecture, Kawasaki-sensei began to teach from the board writing as much as possible and being as vague as he could when he had to speak while teaching the material of the day. If not for the spirit seals linking Naruto and Tamami (who was scowling and trilling her displeasure at the nasty human), those classes would have been a total loss.

The growling gave the fox an excuse to keep her eyes on the instructor…and an excuse to keep receiving calming petting from Naruto. It also allowed the spirit link to channel whatever she saw to Naruto's mind like some kind of Kitsune T.V. He would later translate from memory what he "observed" into his notes.

It also gave him the opportunity to catch up with his favorite bluenette. Okay, she was his only bluenette but you get the idea.

The frustrated girl furiously scribbled as many notes as she could, glancing from the board to Naruto and back to the board again, in an effort to share as much data with him after class. She even included cute stick figures of Kawasaki sensei next to figures he drew on the board.

Naruto added the kunai and blood leaking from the stick figures after class.

During the lunch break, Naruto was outside with his back to a tree feeding bits and pieces of his lunch to Tamami (she had earned it) who was sitting on his head leaving his front free to translate notes from his photographic memory… and feed her more of his lunch. Periodically the boy would reach up to feed a bit of egg or _katsu_ to the munching fox kit who trilled happily.

Naruto noticed a few of the Uchiha fangirls had gradually inched closer to better view the baby fox, their inner Sasuke fangirl hating the blond yet warring with the uncontrollable desire to cuddle the furry ball of love.

_'Taichou, you have guests.'_

Naruto blinked and looked up as the Kitsune hopped down from his head to his lap then placed her paws on his chest, her right cheek nuzzling his own.

_'I will make curry beef tonight, Taichou. Tatsua is growing impatient.'_

He smiled. _'I heard too much of that stuff makes a person fat.'_ The Kitsune glared angrily up at him; it was her favorite dish.

Naruto, who was watching the approaching trio glanced down to the kit and gently kissed her on the nose. She blinked once then ran off into the trees with a bounce and hop.

Several fan girls groaned in disappointment.

"Ano," Hinata started, "will she be okay?"

"She'll be fine. She just needs to use the little fox's room." The trio nodded in understanding. "Is everything okay?" He looked from Choji to Shikamaru to Hinata.

"Troublesome. I saw what they did to you and I don't think it's right." Naruto smiled, not a blindingly fake one, but an honest one that said he appreciated the thought.

"I appreciate your concern for me, Shikamaru-san." The Nara heir grimaced.

"None of that. The only _'San'_ I know is my father. Call me Shika."

Naruto nodded and they bumped fists. He was considering the Nara's comments when the actual Tatsua came bouncing out of the trees and into his lap. Without pause, she planted her tiny paws into his chest and nuzzled his left cheek, tail swaying happily from side to side. Naruto chuckled and fed her the last of his egg, switching to a rice ball for himself as he held out his notes.

He would have to pack more food if they were going to keep sharing his lunches.

"I'll stop calling you 'San' if you make sure I'm not screwing up my notes."

Shikamaru grinned and Choji stopped stuffing chips into his face long enough to grunt his approval. That lasted all of three seconds before the annihilation of all things crispy resumed.

Hinata, hiding behind and just to the side of Shikamaru, seemed terrified. Her fingers were waging furious war against each other until Naruto offered up his notes and then her face scrunched up in furious concentration as she tackled the review of her own notes to help in the comparison. This would start a new routine that would lead to the first close peer ties for Naruto, to kids his own age becoming his first real friends. This would also be his prime method of discovering that the handouts he received in every class but Iruka's were tampered with in some way making them misleading, at best, or complete garbage at worst, which was most of the time.

His respect for the scarred Chunin would grow significantly over the next few months.

Tatsua trilled happily and worked her way around Naruto's neck perch to enjoy the conversation. She liked the bluenette but couldn't figure out why she would hide her blossoming figure under those bulky clothes. The girl had good hips for bearing kits and she told Taichou as much via mental link.

Naruto, for his part, tried not to choke on his juice box to the concerned looks of his new friends.

"Ahem!... wrong pipe (cough)," he rasped out.

Over the rest of the lunch break, they would trade stories and make small comments on his notes to clarify his understanding. The three clan heirs found out quickly that Naruto was of sharp mind and, after a few days, began bringing out their notes to make their own updates on things he'd heard, while repeatedly facing the corner no less, that they'd missed. It also didn't take long to discover his sense of humor either, once you got past his abnormally strong guard, but that took a few weeks of constant engagement.

But we digress from our first day.

Notes checked and lunches devoured, the four settled in before having to return to class.

The boys found an easy rapport. Choji was easy going and generally followed Shika, the two having been close friends growing up. Hinata spent her time either staring at her index fingers (still battling) or nodding her head in agreement – when she wasn't trying to impersonate a tomato, which was often, or sneak peeks at the blond. Anytime Naruto asked if she was okay, she'd turn progressively redder leading up to him placing his forehead against hers to check her temperature culminating in her eventual escape to the _Land of the Comatose_, a process which would reset and resume frequently.

She was horribly shy, and Naruto found it humorous to torment her. He hoped she would grow out of it though as she had a very sweet voice and the most enchanting eyes...

~I I I~

Afternoon classes proved a bit more… stimulating.

Mizuki-sensei, although the same age as Iruka-sensei, had a different teaching style altogether.

"Welcome back students. I hope you didn't fill up too much. If you did, barf buckets are at the corners of the sparring circles."

The students glanced around to the slightly mounded rings marked with small stones around the edge and a single grey pail near each.

Mizuki spent ten minutes discussing the academy style of martial arts they would be learning. While it wouldn't preclude clan martial arts (students were in fact encouraged to use clan styles during their light-contact spars), they would be graded during their graduation exams based on standard academy katas.

Their sessions would begin with short lectures highlighting kata forms or specific technical applications before moving outside to the sparring grounds to work through exercises; Mizuki spent as little time as possible talking as he was more of a "doer."

Another period of warm-ups would follow before two periods split between basic weapon use – no, they won't be learning swords, stop asking Sasuke – and taijutsu, which included lots of repetition and two-step sparring with a paired opponent.

Naruto found the warm-up period…lacking, severely lacking. Out in the yard, they stretched limbs, torsos, and necks for ten minutes. Shoulder rotations, hip flexing, and leg stretches were standard form before running five quick laps around the training yard. To someone who ran laps around the village and battled with Tatsua when she was in full battle regalia, it was… underwhelming.

It barely made Naruto's pulse spike.

Another thirty minutes of the first kata form through practical application wrapped up the general instruction and, in those thirty minutes, Mizuki looked at Naruto's form only once. It didn't matter to Naruto as his personal instruction with Kyuubi's memories of his mother's training in the academy style proved more than enough.

What mattered was the "Uzumaki Naruto Double Standard" had been firmly set.

With his growing distaste for the academy life building on the first day, Naruto ran on autopilot through target practice with shuriken and kunai (he used his recycled weapons from his salvage efforts) and prepared to be underwhelmed yet again during sparring.

Mizuki, with the help of Iruka who was observing the outside lessons, had mentioned today would be a shorter day than normal. Both instructors had an important meeting with the Hokage and they needed time to prepare.

Mizuki had just explained the rules to the spars. It would be soft contact taijutsu, no nin-ken (Tatsua growled, er, _trilled mightily as only a tiny fox kit can!_), ninjutsu, genjutsu, or kenjutsu allowed. Ring outs, knockouts, and submissions were allowed. Once he asked for volunteers or challenges, Kiba leaped forward and tried to assert his alpha-male status with a bold challenge.

"I challenge the blond loser!" Mizuki smiled and the class "_oooooohed_." It looked like there would be some excitement after all.

Kiba set Akamaru down and rubbed his head before loping out to the ring of stone and packed earth. Naruto sighed and moved to do the same with Tatsua only to find Hinata standing nearby with her hands out, palms up, her face beet red, and her teeth worrying her lower lip. With another happy trill, Tatsua leaped into the girl's arms and snuggled in for the match, her tiny eyes locking with Naruto's (there was many an unhappy fangirl at this point).

_'If you lose, I will make you suffer later at the training grounds,'_ the tiny Kitsune warned_._

Naruto tried to play off his worry before removing his jacket and laying it on the ground.

"Careful Naruto. He's fast and his clan techniques make him stronger than he looks."

"Thanks for the heads up, Shika," Naruto whispered with genuine appreciation. He got a nod in return and a quick fist bump for luck.

His short-sleeved tee-shirt didn't hide the bracers around his wrists, and Maito Guy, the newest addition under the group genjutsu for the afternoon spars, raised his freakishly thick eyebrows in recognition taking a pensive stance in anticipation. He also wasn't the only one to notice the lean hard-packed muscle under the young lad's clothes. He moved with the strength and grace of a predator, something unusual for any child his age let alone an orphan with no recorded ties to any dojo.

To his left, Kurenai was "tsking" softly and wagging her finger to ward him off before gently tapping the middle of her chest as if to say, _"Hands off, he's mine." _A disappointed Guy turned back to the upcoming match with interest regardless.

Kakashi merely drooled as her finger plunged into her mesh neckline. Kurenai merely sighed in disgust and turned back to the spars.

Along the line of fangirls surrounding Sasuke, another person was taking an extreme interest in the only other class blond, if the blush on her face was any indication. He was lean, not overly bulky, but his shoulders showed signs of growth, wide and sloped up to his neck. The tee shirt wasn't tight, so it hung straight down from his chest in a straight line indicating none of that baby fat evident on most of her classmates. Even Sasuke was a little soft, _not that this was a bad thing_, but this boy was corded muscle. The way his forearms flexed and clenched was making her face warm and her breath hitch.

She lost her train of thought when Sakura elbowed her in the ribs to ask if she was feeling okay. With a quick grunt, she waved off the pinkette and turned back to the match. The combatants were both in the ring by now.

"Scared loser? You should be!"

Naruto sighed in disdain and took the introductory stance, left foot forward, right foot at forty-five degrees and legs slightly bent. Naruto slowly raised his hands up in a basic guard and lightly closed his fists as his eyes took in Kiba's body from the waist up to his head.

Mizuki stepped forward and extended his arm, hand in a basic open-handed chop directly in the space between the two.

"Now remember, you stop when I say stop. Light contact only and keep it controlled. Understand?"

Kiba only smirked in response. Naruto nodded once when Mizuki turned to look at him, never taking his eyes from the dog nin. When Mizuki yelled, "Kumite!" and leaped back and out of the circle, the dog boy surged forward, his hand raking across his body to disembowel his opponent.

If Naruto had been a hair slower, he would have lost more than his lunch. His underestimation of his opponent cost him his favorite orange shirt as the boy's claws slashed it apart. Realization hit when Mizuki only grinned outside the circle and that pause cost him again as Kiba connected with a right fist to his stomach, which didn't hurt a lot but did lower his head enough for the dog nin to send a knee into his nose.

Now THAT hurt.

Kitsune noses are much like dog noses, very sensitive. Naruto spun away from the whirling stink bag (his damaged nose stopped the stench and, by Kami, did this guy need a bath) and reset his feet on the opposite end of the ring. They had effectively traded places.

Naruto ignored the hoots and cheers from the Sasuke Goon Squad.

"Get used to seeing blood, even in these light contact spars people. It will be much worse in a real fight."

Seeing that Mizuki had no plans to stop the spar, Naruto reset his nose with an audible crack (many of the fan base flinched at that) and wiped the blood from his face. This, for the first time, wiped the smirk right from Kiba's grinning mug. Naruto grinned on purpose to show he had enlarged canines as well, his grin a bit more feral.

Naruto set his rear foot, the ground cracking beneath his sandal. Kiba noticed that also and flinched. Several others in the class, including Sasuke, also noticed and some of the cheers for the dog boy dwindled. Then Naruto charged.

Kiba reflexively shot out his lead leg to catch the blonde face first. Naruto slid under the leg and grabbed a fist full of jacket. Planting his lead foot and pivoting, he lifted Kiba completely off the ground and slammed him face-first into the dirt with a crunch.

Kiba yelped like a wounded animal and rolled away.

The audience, all of them on the fanbase side this time, flinched again. This time the cheering stopped completely.

When the dog nin stood with his mouth and nose (an unnaturally crooked nose) bleeding, Mizuki began to step forward to stop the fight. Kiba, seeing more red than what was on his hand and shirt, roared and leaped at his opponent going airborne.

"Kiba!" (Mizuki)

Naruto chambered his lead leg and drove it into the airborne boy's stomach keeping himself out of talon's reach and knocking some of the wind out of Kiba's sails. Using chakra on the sole of his sandal, he kept the dog nin from flying away and this froze Mizuki just at the edge of the ring; Naruto held the boy off the ground in a fully-extended sidekick by leg strength alone.

Kiba blinked in surprise fully two feet off the ground and helpless, his lungs trying desperately to refill with oxygen.

Naruto rechambered his leg then forcefully extended it while releasing the chakra hold through his sandal just before locking out. Kiba shot out of the circle, bounced twice, and rolled up against a target dummy some twenty meters away.

Kiba looked up with glazed eyes as the blond slowly lowered his leg back to the ground, the disgusted look on his face conveyed more words than the dog nin heard from him all day. He would have to find another way to make the fox lover submit to his alpha status. The war had officially begun.

"Winner! Uzumaki!"

Naruto wanted to return to his friends but Mizuki called medical assistants over to check the boys and that meant he had to stay put per match rules. The med nin, a brown-haired female in her late teens checked his nose and eyes for swelling or obvious air blockages. Seeing none and commenting on how odd that was, she motioned for him to remove his shirt, so she could disinfect any cuts.

Naruto blanched but stripped nonetheless to the gasps and blushes of almost every female at the sparring grounds (even Kurenai though he couldn't see it). Sakura was apparently immune and started stating loudly that Sasuke-kun had abs of steel even if she'd never seen them. She had faith and that was enough for her.

Sasuke, in turn, looked infinitely unimpressed by her declaration.

Training with Tatsua and working at the forge had hardened his physique and layered lean muscle on his growing frame. The Kitsune change had caused a growth spurt of almost fifteen centimeters and had already beefed up his body, which Tatsua's training regimen had hammered and reforged time and time again. His core was a solid block of bricks, his obliques showed not a trace of fat, and his shoulders, chest and back rippled and twitched with each movement.

All this and he was almost nine.

With the shirt removed, a wave of youki-enhanced pheromones washed over the med nin as she prepared to hover just over a hand's span from Naruto's gut. The nin turned a bright red and forgot what she was supposed to be checking as her eyes roamed his body. A small voice in the back of her mind wondered if she could get punished for those thoughts, her tiny conscience roaring futilely through her mind before Naruto's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Ano, am I okay? I'd like to put my shirt back on even if it is trashed."

Naruto glanced at the dog nin who was having his nose reset and stopped up with cotton balls, one of his legs twitching in pain. In doing so, he noted the many female mouths hanging open (pink cheeks ablaze) and the many jealous glares from the majority of males in his class, including Sasuke. He didn't like extra attention and today was too full of it for his liking.

The med nin nodded before kneeling enough to get close to his stomach. Running her fingers along his abs in roughly the direction his shirt was slashed, her light touch tickled Naruto and, as a reflex, his stomach tensed causing his abs to constrict further into even more solid blocks of muscle, if that were possible.

Off to the left where Shika and the rest were, Hinata crumpled to the ground. Directly in front of him, the med nin had stopped moving her hands and was simply staring. There was a squelching noise and another heady aroma caught his sensitive nose, now fully healed thanks to Kyuubi, before another med nin arrived to gently push her away.

Mitarashi Anko, standing next to her long-time friend Kurenai tried not to picture the pint-sized Gaki in the next seven to eight years. Kurenai signed, _'He's nine. Dirty hands off, Anko-chan.'_ Anko only pouted in return. Kurenai then promptly returned to her own pedophilic thoughts.

The female med nin resisted at first and the male med nin had to use more force. Once she was standing by the hidden instructors, the male med nin certified him as healthy and told him to put his shirt back on. Naruto happily did so and rushed over to check on Hinata, who was being tended to by a concerned Iruka sensei.

She was fine if you discounted the fainting spell and the trickle of blood from her left nostril.

Naruto chuckled as he had a good idea of what was going through her mind. Tatsua jumped back into his arms and reclaimed her perch as the remainder of the fights continued. Glancing back to the majority of the class, the ones that had gathered around the Uchiha, he could still see a few flushed faces and Ino had a similar trickle of blood leaking from her nose.

The scowl on Naruto's face before he turned back to the spar between Shino and Kaneshiro Toketsu made her flinch, shocking her enough so that her hand darted to cover her nose. She made a mental note to ask her father about the blond enigma. She was cute, right? She was also blonde. Many of the boys she knew told her as much and she hadn't been _that_ mean to him, okay… maybe not as mean as certain others, as he hadn't come between her and Sasuke-kun. What would make him look at her that way? She had to know.

Ino hated mysteries.

Once free and clear for the day, Naruto went early to Higurashi's. He had a lot of frustration to release on the anvil.

~I I I~

About the same time, the Third Hokage was having a very interesting meeting with his Jounin and Chunin shinobi. Dismissing his ANBU and activating every privacy seal in his office, he let Iruka start the conversation.

"Hokage-sama is looking for first impressions of this year's batch of hopefuls. I will start by saying we have a promising crop, especially with a large number of clan heirs this year." Iruka retook his seat next to the Hokage's desk.

"Their basic taijutsu is rough. Some have better technique using clan skills, but we can work with the others." Mizuki stood just to the right and behind Iruka. "None stand out at this early stage."

"What about the non-heirs? I found young Uzumaki _very_ promising." At his emphasis on the word, Kakashi turned to Kurenai again, "One more round, Yuhi-san! I'll… take over your border patrol duty at the end of the month!" Kakashi had one hand raised in a fist and his other was slowly reaching up to raise his headband.

The one-eyed nin had already been guaranteed the Uchiha survivor given his Sharingan but he saw an opportunity to push the heir with competition and there wasn't anyone else in the class he thought good enough to give him the results he wanted. The vessel was strong enough already that he could probably survive a little neglect while Kakashi focused on Sasuke. With a worthless fangirl on the team, his job would be ridiculously easy.

It was a good thing no one else could hear these thoughts.

Hiruzen's eyes crinkled in merriment at this point even as Yuhi shook her head emphatically in the negative, her long raven locks bouncing around her shoulders in irritation. Kakashi, to his credit, tried not to stare at her bouncing chest.

The Hokage injected the first of several comments, "And just what did you find promising about the boy, Kakashi?"

The silver cyclops merely shrugged. "What's not to like? He's attentive, bright, and _extremely powerful_. Add in the fact that he nearly broke her genjutsu," he lazily indicated Kurenai with a thumb, "…and you have almost a complete package wrapped up in one blond, muscle-bound dynamo." He figured he'd need to lay it on ultra-thick to get the Council to approve his second choice.

Many of the Jounin not there to observe… blinked. Kurenai was a genjutsu master.

Kurenai shrugged. "He detected _something _when he first walked into the classroom looking directly where I was standing even if he couldn't see me and then again several times during the morning class."

The Hokage blinked very deliberately and nearly dropped his pipe.

"He's not that special." (Mizuki)

"Are you blind!? Oh wait, you weren't there when we discovered he has FIVE elemental affinities!" (Kurenai)

Mizuki joined the Hokage in his next stupefied blink. The Hokage merely turned to Iruka. "Explain."

"During introductions, I asked the students to include any family jutsus they had learned to help gauge where I would need to focus next year's jutsu classes. Naruto stated that he didn't have a family or clan techniques, so he worked on building his elemental affinities. When I asked which one he focused on, he blandly responded with 'all of them'."

When the Hokage's eyes grew very large, Iruka nodded and continued.

"To verify his claim, I gave him chakra paper without explaining how to use it. I did provide a general explanation to the class on the possible results, so they would understand the outcome of the test. When he channeled his chakra…well, see for yourself Hokage-sama."

Iruka handed the used paper to the Hokage who promptly dropped his pipe into his lap. After a moment of frantic patting and blowing on his robes, the Hokage returned to the on-going discussion.

"What else?"

"His physical conditioning is almost as good as Lee-kun." (Gai)

"That is a bold claim, Gai-san." (Mizuki)

Gai frowned without his normal exuberance. "Then am I the only one that noticed his chakra weights? Your fires are dimming, Mizuki-san."

This caused the other instructors, except Kakashi, to blink in surprise. They had noticed Gai's complete professional evaluation askance his usual "bursting flames of youth."

"Those bands on his wrists and ankles are metal plates with gravity seals. He is able to increase or decrease the amount of weight by applying chakra to the seal to increase his physical conditioning." (Kakashi)

"Observant as always, my rival." The two nodded to each other in respect.

The meeting continued for several more minutes. Iruka, true to his claim as a fair instructor, tried to wrestle the conversation back to the remainder of the class believing this to be a general review of the entire class. He could not understand the focus on the orphaned Uzumaki. Oh, he understood the importance given the boy's tenant, but every child should receive equal focus if they were to succeed.

He was bit disappointed to hear about the blatant mistreatment by other instructors, something he would have never caught without outside observers. That would bear closer scrutiny. He left that meeting more disturbed than his day had started out.

Iruka just hoped the rest of the year would be less traumatizing than the first day had been.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes: Ecology of Kitsune Chakra**

In the original story, I'd left out the explanation as to why Naruto started out with such an OP ninjutsu advantage despite having a half-assed relatable reason as to why he could be so Hax. I explained it thoroughly in the latter chapters of the sequel as part of his personal training period but it makes more sense to flush it out here as it happens so folks might remember why he has access, at a reduced level, to a ridiculous amount of elemental affinities.

Remember, his Kitsune tails do not have the same level of chakra stores as his human chakra network. He would need to rely more on Kyuubi's chakra to enhance his Reika network, unknowingly weakening the seal that holds her even further.

See the Kitsune underhandedness in that? As to Kitsune use of Reika...

There are a number of Kitsune clans all centered around specific affinities. With so much diversity, their Taichou would need to be a cut above to keep a grip on everything. Thus the effort that went into designing the Kitsune Chakra network especially since humans are not meant to use Spirit Chakra.

That meant the Kyuubi needed to compromise and modify existing Kitsune anatomy when she altered his DNA, hence the new and improved Modulous Gland. Since she can't remove entirely his dependence on human Chakra because of the seal, she's found a way to bridge the two.

That does not make it an instant power-up. It's a major change and it immediately destroyed his chakra control meaning a lot of work had to go into returning to where he was before the boost. To make matters worse, he now has a third source of chakra to worry about and master in addition to mastering his natural chakra, which is now much harder to master due to the reinforcement of his chakra network and the seeping of Reika into his network, which is better suited to Kyuubi's youki than his chakra.

It's a mess and his Kitsune handmaidens can't help him with human ninjutsu.

And what's up with Kakashi's attitude?

Sucks to be Naruto right now.

~Siva'a


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Sorry to disappoint, but my protagonists generally don't become super-powered monsters overnight meaning they need to either grow stronger or make long-range plans if you want any sense of justice and/or closure. Besides, that makes obtaining said justice all the sweeter in the end, doesn't it?

I've had a few people lament the relatively slow buildup to my stories but that is the reality of my writing style; I like a story that draws you in and builds a bond with the characters (or hatred towards the villains) in the story.

I write stories that I like to read and, if the main character of the tale becomes unstoppable in the first five chapters then the rest of the story becomes superfluous (and boring). I'd quickly lose interest and (I imagine) you would as well.

Still working the next chapter of "No More" and hope to have it edited and released by this weekend. Please be patient and know that your questions about Ino, Hinata & Shino, and (surprisingly) Ebisu (talk about a hated villain) have been heard. I can guarantee at least two of those concerns will be answered in that chapter.

For now, enjoy this bonus release due to the growing panic surrounding a growing pandemic. Be safe people and kind to each other.

~Siva'a

* * *

**Updated to include the opening cut-scene that earned this chapter its title (can't believe I overlooked that).**

* * *

_**Chapter 11: A Thief's Tale**_

~III~

* * *

Old Jurou lurched forward in bed, bleary eyes trying frantically to focus while his ears strained out into the darkness of his opulent bedroom for the sound that dragged him from his deep slumber. It was a shame really as it was his favorite dream – he'd been taunting the demon brat after managing to single-handedly capture the beast and tying it over a roasting spit. As he routinely poked the monster with a sharp stick, he laughed maniacally while lording over the fifty fox hides pelted to the many trees in the clearing established for just this purpose, all the while the Hokage sat helpless and bound at the edge of the great pit while his pet demon charred to a cinder. It was his favorite dream of all time.

Yawning wide and smacking his parched lips together for good measure, the groggy merchant grimaced at his empty nightstand glass and lumbered from his expensive and imported feather mattress to refill it.

Thumping loudly through his still dark three-story home, Jurou plodded down familiar territory past his second-floor guest and trophy rooms only to pause at the top of the stairway leading to the ground floor. His ears strained once again for that sound, any sound only to be greeted with blessed silence. On impulse, he reached for the handle to his study conveniently located to his right on the second-floor balcony and tested the lock.

Satisfied at the clinking jiggle of the firmly bound door, he grunted happily and finished his trek to the first floor where sounds of his kitchen tap opening up were followed by loud gulping noises. With a heavy sigh of contentment, the sound of the once again empty glass clinking on to the marbled countertops was soon followed by the corpulent merchant trudging back up the stairs to his top-floor bedroom. Along the way, he mumbled incoherently about punishing his lazy house staff for failing to fill his nightstand glass before his retirement, the closing of his bedroom door signifying his second retreat of the night.

The shadowy figure clinging to the ceiling of Jurou's second-floor skylight waited patiently until the bed springs compressed in agony under the larger man's bulk. For good measure, it waited until the greedy merchant's ear-splitting snoring picked up once again before gently dropping to the carpeted hallway in front of the still locked office door. The deep blue eyes buried in the dark cloth shrouding its head flicked from shadow to shadow giving off an eerie amber glow as they amplified the dimly lit foyer.

With an annoyed sigh, the figure glanced back up to the ajar skylight above the central living room area, the dusty glass and rusted metal framework nearly the cause for its capture.

It was a good thing the drowsy slob didn't have the urge to look up. Not only would he have seen the ajar skylight, rusted piece of crap that it was, but he would also have been prodded by fear to look about further possibly discovering the would-be burglar not three feet above his head when the merchant stopped to test the door handle.

With one last check to verify the ongoing and ragged snoring reverberating off the largely empty home's walls, the figure glided over to the locked door and drew two slender picks from a small pouch at its waist. Those fragile seeming tools found their way into the locked handle and, with a deft twist, the mechanism gave way with a silent click.

Without a second glance, the figure slid into the darkened room and closed the door behind it.

Not ten minutes later, that same figure exited and re-locked the office door before shimmying spider-like up the wall and out of the same skylight it entered through without a sound. Not even bothering to close the latch, it leaped away into the night.

It would be later that morning when an enraged Nakajima Jurou stormed in off the street to sidle up to the desk of the Hokage's secretary. Despite the pleasant appearance of the petite blonde, his ire had been fully stoked at his servant's discovery of the aforementioned skylight and the frantic rifling of his own (still-locked) office only to learn that his illicit ledger had gone missing from his hidden stash spot underneath the lower left-hand drawer of his overly impressive imported mahogany desk, which was also still locked.

Apparently, Jurou was not alone as the comely blonde kunoichi attempted to placate the four other merchants angrily protesting similar break-ins to the flustered and sighing female as she huffed a lock of her striking hair from her face. For the tenth time that morning, Kyou calmly reminded them this was a matter for the Civilian Police Corps until it could be definitively proven that a nin was the perpetrator and that there was nothing more she or the Hokage could do for them.

From behind his slightly cracked door, the Hokage listened to Badger's report of the crime scene with interest.

The perpetrator, in every case, gained entry through impossible means alluding to the use of chakra and stealth to an advanced degree, a fact that immediately ruled out first, second and most third-year academy students. While the irate merchants were trying to hide what was stolen from them by avoiding... probing questions, a sure sign it would be incriminating to the merchants themselves, the thief used neatsfoot oil, a common natural lubricant used in conditioning leather or sharpening knives, to coax reluctant and neglected access points into giving him purchase into the residents of his victims.

It didn't help that the oil only served to limit the suspect pool to civilians that trafficked in leather goods, butchers, tailors, blacksmiths, and every shinobi or kunoichi within the walls of Konoha. It was a dead-end lead no police force had the manpower to track down.

Beyond those clues, the thief left no other traces of their passing. The fact that Jurou nearly stumbled on to the individual through his own lazy residential neglect of maintenance was an odd stroke of luck.

No, Sarutobi was more interested in what the thief was after rather than whom it was taking it from.

~I I I~

The remaining year of classes was anything but drama-free. Kiba quickly established Naruto as his rival even though Naruto showed repeatedly that he could care less.

Iruka spent more time looking into biases from the instructors highlighted during the Jounin review. As a result, unfounded biases and sabotage were cut off before they could fester providing at least a fair chance at a shinobi education for our beleaguered Kitsune Taichou.

Finding tolerant instructors was difficult, true, so the Hokage substituted low-ranking ANBU with the enticement of long-term B-rank mission pay. Being directly answerable to the Hokage and more familiar with how sealing actually worked, lessons (and subsequent test grading) became more fair and balanced.

At some point, Ino's expressions towards him had changed. It was less scornful, sometimes tinged with…remorse? Naruto tried to shrug it off despite the day-to-day exposure to the increasingly curious blonde. He didn't notice when the change first occurred, but he found her less defensive over the emo wonder and slowly inching her way near the foursome during afternoon spars.

Naruto's reinforcement and extension training had become lethal. Tatsua was randomly picking a day in the week and increasing his weights to one hundred kilos apiece. In order to move around, Naruto had to keep a steady stream of reinforcing chakra flowing through his whole body or he'd find himself face down on the ground unable to move. Those nights led to his best nights of sleep and he was beginning to get less weirded out when he woke up sandwiched between two Kitsune, especially on the days when they were mostly-naked Kitsune, which was often as the nights went by even with the pheromone suppression seal working overtime.

Tama-chan's training had evolved to storage and explosive seals. As an academy student, his ID gave him access to the shinobi library, which increased his access to shinobi literature, and that included low-grade E and D-rank jutsu across the five elements. He was able to pick up all ten of the camping jutsus as well as the minor key-skill jutsus focused on espionage and evasion (substitution, sleight-of-hand, rope escape, wire use, and so on).

Naruto excelled in stealth and survival training. He'd had plenty of practice walking the mean streets of Konoha as a child. In the early training ground excursions, the four bonded. Whenever possible, they grouped up to share skills and secrets (splitting up watch rotations also helped keep their supplies from being stolen by other groups).

Naruto progressed to basic weapons crafting under Higurashi's tutelage and he got plenty of practice replacing lost shuriken and kunai for Tenten, which he often recovered later at her abandoned training ground and used as stock to practice since the metal was good quality. He was even given normal use of one of the two smaller forges in the shop as his very own. This made keeping track of specific projects and his personal stock of ore easier to maintain, like the tanto blade he was currently folding over for the fifth time. This was exactly how Kurenai found him in the back.

Naruto, tee shirt and iron mesh removed and replaced by a leather apron, stoked the bellows, formed a half ram seal, and shot another burst of fire into the coals thankful for Kyuubi's memories of previous containers performing jutsu during training or actual fights (he was able to take notes from those and learn a handful of lower-level techniques). Tatsua was curled up high near a cracked window where the air was freshest, her eyes flitting from her Taichou to the leggy brunette now standing near the entrance to the forge area, her eyes hungrily devouring the minor as he heaved, hammered, and went about his crafting trade.

She didn't know that the sealed entity's youki, in addition to the genetic re-engineering done during his transcendence, laid the blueprint for his body's ability to repair and rebuild itself at inhuman rates. All the attractive Jounin saw was a young shinobi whose body reacted well to manual labor, his lean build layering thicker slabs of muscle as he trained and labored at the forge. Oddly enough her slightly skewed preferences were okay with that as her mind wandered to the land of questionable fantasies.

Then he ruined her train of thought by letting her know that he was aware of her presence.

"Old Higurashi-Jiji is better at taking orders than I am," Naruto called over his right shoulder as he eyed the heat of the coals, the still-forming blade glowing a bright yellow fading to orange back by the tang. He took a half step back, ran through short series of seals, adding two reverse rat seals to reduce the power of the jutsu, then blew a steady stream of white-hot-nearly-blue fire into the coal bed.

Kurenai didn't hear the jutsu chant but the flames shadowed the muscles along his back and heated the room another five degrees sending a trickle of sweat along her neckline and down into the valley of her breasts.

"I'm not here to talk to Higurashi-san, Naruto."

Naruto removed the heated blade, placed it on the anvil, then began to carefully hammer and fold the metal until it was elongated, folded in half, then pounded flat again. He kept his pace even, the resounding _CLANGS_ of hammer-to-metal setting a melancholic rhythm.

"I hope you don't mind talking while I work sensei." Naruto checked the blade for gaps in the fold. "I can't stop working this piece or it will cool and shatter."

Kurenai understood that. It would be frustrating to start again so she settled in to watch his shoulders heave, his arms flex and his back muscles clench with each blow of the hammer. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice kept reminding her that she was over twice the age - just barely so - of this muscle-bound dwarf.

"Sure, but how did you know I was a sensei? I could be a vendor or a clan servant."

Naruto plunged the metal into a barrel filled with the liquid mixture of clay and straw ash, before setting it back into the coals to reheat and cure. "I recognized your scent from that first day of class."

Kurenai's eyes shot open. _'How could he smell me in all this soot and ash?'_ "What scent?"

Naruto chuckled. "I couldn't recognize it then, but I've been to the Yamanaka flower shop since that's the only place to buy seeds." Naruto turned around to stare at the Amazonian kunoichi. "You smell like baby's breath. It's faint but it's there."

Naruto glanced back at the tempering mix and wondered if the husks from rice grains would work just as well. Husks would be much easier to gather than straw from the Nara's but that was a thought for a later time. He turned back to the kunoichi while wiping his hands on his apron.

She smiled just a hair. It was her one vice. Most shinobi try to leave as little trace as possible, so trackers can't find them, but she'd been found out by an academy student… who apparently had a highly developed sense of smell. She'd have to find another soap, unfortunately.

"I have a proposition for you." Naruto raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Aren't I a little young for you, sensei?" Kurenai blushed but tried to laugh it off as a voice in the back of her head screamed at her to change his mind.

Naruto turned back to the blade and resumed folding. _'Was this five or six?'_ Kurenai watched the interplay of back and shoulder muscles that belonged more on an older ninja, mesmerized. With a quick shake of her long, wavy hair, she cleared her thoughts and plowed on.

"Have you thought about what you want to do when you graduate?"

Naruto's reply was off-handed. "Nope. I am going to be a ninja. I go where they send me."

"No reservations? No…preferences?"

"None though I assume they'll assign me to a heavy combat team." Her voice hitched and she only just resisted the urge to hug him from behind, sweaty breasts and all. That answer settled it as far as she was concerned as a sensei.

She would press her claim based on his acumen with genjutsu and, if Kakashi forced the issue, she'd mention the heightened sense of smell. The fact that he had tracker-levels skills only gave her a stronger claim for a tracker team. His genjutsu cinched it given her position as the reigning genjutsu master and he could provide heavy combat power to help extricate his team if things got hot and heavy in a not-so-enjoyable way. Kakashi could have the dog-nin in trade since she fully expected him to cater to the Uchiha anyway.

She vanished in a swirl of leaves and the blond student went back to shaping his blade for the sixth time this month.

_'Seventh, Taichou.'_ He grunted his thanks and resumed the melodic serenade of the anvil.

Eventually, winter in Konoha gave way to spring. Spring gave way to the final survival exam of the first school year. For the final, the thirty-student class had to pair off and prepare for a week survival event at Training Area Forty-One. Choji and Shikamaru immediately linked up, leaving Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Naruto, and Aisawa Irumi. Not wanted to be paired with either of the other girls, Hinata glommed onto the blond and immediately burst into mega blush mode - but did not release him nor did she faint.

She did scowl at Ino who was inching her way over to the unclaimed boy moments before.

The message was clear. _Mine._

Pairs established the groups were to meet at the appointed training area Friday after class. Higurashi was sad to be without help but they would manage. Naruto was clearly spoiling the old man.

Naruto met his friends just outside the training area as the instructors took roll. There were a few voluntary observers to help monitor the students. It was okay to pair up mixed-gender teams, but no one was taking anything for granted stating for the record that chaperones would be monitoring the area.

The training range was huge, but Naruto was already familiar with it; this had been one of Tatsua's favorites after all. Fifteen pairs were to be spread out a mile apart and along the large lake near the center, with Naruto and Hinata at one end of the horseshoe arrangement (apparently parents took issue with their special snowflakes being too near the demon child). Choji and Shikamaru would be set up next to them keeping their pair effectively isolated from the rest of the class.

This was perfectly fine to Naruto as they had ready access to a large body of water, a free-flowing stream feeding it, and the connected forest.

"W-W-Where do you want to s-s-set up our t-t-tent, Naruto-k-kun?" He noticed her stutter was resurfacing. This would not do. He walked over to the blushing girl and hugged her without warning. In response, she nearly 'eeped' herself into oblivion. He simply held onto her tightly until her breathing steadied and her forehead lifted from his chest.

"Hinata-chan?" She perked up at the addition to her name.

"Mmmm?" She was very warm and _very_ happy.

"I don't know what I've done to make you so nervous around me," he had an idea, "but I need you here with me. I need you focused so that we can succeed."

Her eyes focused on the fox nose nuzzling her cheek as she mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that Hinata-chan?" Her fists were clenched in the back of his jacket now and she took in a big, sobbing breath.

"I'm sorry that I'm so weak." It was almost a whisper. "I'll only let you down."

"How many spars have you lost?" She glanced up to his chin but didn't answer. "_How many_?" he asked again this time more insistently.

"I have only lost to you and Sasuke, and with him only half the time since we've been training together." He smiled into her hair.

"You are not weak."

"I am! My family tells me so all the time!" Her voice was strained, painful to hear, her vehemence shocking him for a second. Tatsua's growl shook him out of it.

"Then your family is stupid. You're the strongest girl I know (the twins were women so, technically, he wasn't wrong). Hinata blinked, this time looking up into his blue eyes and his smile took her breath away.

"I am going to prove it to you one day. Just you wait and see." He leaned down and kissed her forehead and she sighed at the sensation. A rough cough abruptly killed the mood but Naruto did not release her.

"Did we come at a bad time?" Naruto turned with a sheepish grin to Shikamaru and Choji.

"Not at all. We were just deciding where to set up." Naruto kissed her one more time, this time on the cheek, and released her to clasp forearms with the two boys. At the sound of something falling into the soft grass, everyone turned to look at Hinata. She was out like a light.

When she came to, she was leaning against a tree with their tents set up just inside the edge of the treeline. Tatsua was curled up in her lap sleeping.

"Ano, I thought we were supposed to stay in our areas?" Hinata was happy to see the other boys but she seemed disappointed at something.

Shikamaru answered her pouty question. "We are supposed to pair up and have been given a stretch along the lake, this is true. The rules, however, do not prohibit teams linking up. This will help split up the chores and ease watch rotations meaning we'll all get more sleep, as well as time to watch the clouds." That last bit wiped the frown from Hinata's face as she noticed that Shika and Choji had their tent and that left her with…" She hopped up with an indignant squeak from (and apology to) Tatsua as she went about helping with the rest of camp set up.

Looking around as she stacked up more firewood, she didn't see the blond. Noticing her look of apprehension, Choji pointed further into the woods. "He said he was getting us a special treat for dinner and he'd be back soon. He left after setting up the tent for the two of you."

"Treat?" Then her mind locked onto Choji's last comment about a tent for the two of them and her brain began to shut down again.

Choji nodded. "I wished we had some barbeque I could grill so he said he'd fix that." Too bad Hinata couldn't hear him anymore in her decadent wonderland.

Almost as if it were a call, Naruto appeared with large boar twice his size slung over his shoulders. Choji's eyes grew to the size of saucers as the blond hunter strung the boar up from a tree branch and began to flay the leather hide from the carcass. Once that was done, he used a kunai blade to carefully scrape the inner dermis while Choji got to work setting up the rotisserie and unsealed a bunch of spices, his job made easier since Naruto had already field dressed the hog, and soon the pleasant smell of roasted pig filled the campsite.

Naruto spent another hour rubbing sea salt into the hide from a tin he'd unsealed before laying it flat over the peak of their tent and then heading down to the water's edge.

Up in a tree, Kurenai's mouth started watering at the sight of a shirtless Naruto going into the lake to rinse off the blood that leaked down his shoulders and back. It made her legs rub together unconsciously. Kakashi had his vice and she had hers - she just didn't publicize it.

In the camp, Hinata failed to notice the bowl of rice Choji passed to her until he nudged her arm with it. His knowing smirk didn't make her blush any less severe either. Tearing her eyes from the broad shoulders of her secret crush, she thanked the pleasantly plump Akimichi wearing his "Kiss the Chef" apron and nibbled on a few grains. Eventually, her eyes began their wayward trek back to the sound of splashing water and…

"You know Naruto, I was worried about starving to death this week but your idea to team up was the right thing to do!" Choji's apprehension came way down with that nervous chuckle and the sound of meats sizzling. Even with Choji's appetite, that boar gave them enough meat for several days.

"No problem, Choji." The four quickly set up their watch rotation with Naruto taking the first followed by Hinata, Shika, then Choji. In the meantime, Choji grilled up the meat and sealed the unused bits in another sealing scroll his mom and dad provided for the exercise. Naruto, once everyone was settled and fed, took an extra plate with rice and tender shanks then headed off towards the trees. The other three looked up in surprise.

"Naruto-kun?" He smiled back at the group before leaping up into a branch and holding a plate out at arm's length. The three gasped when the plate disappeared. Naruto chuckled before leaping back down to the camp and, without another word, sat down to finish eating.

Kurenai had to fight the urge to grab his arm and ditch the plate; Naruto had not yet put his shirt back on making her almost forget how hungry she was and how unsatisfying that ration bar tasted.

~III~

The next morning found Naruto being repeatedly head-butted by Tatsua. A quick glance, even with his enhanced night vision, showed it was still early, earlier than normal. He could hear Choji poking the fire mumbling about how he could best prepare yesterday's leftovers (something about hoping he brought enough dry rub). Hinata had inched her sleeping bag up next to his own, her back nestled up against what would be his chest, her breathing soft and steady. Aiming his parabolic ears, he could hear Kurenai waking up in her perch, the reinforced clasps of her vest stretching against her decent-sized… wait, why would human ears need to rotate? Suddenly the urgent head butting of his female attendant made more sense and he gently patted her forehead with a thankful smile on his face. Forming the half seal, Naruto cast the Kitsune transformation and rose from his bedroll.

Might as well get the day started.

Tatsua climbed into Hinata's bedroll and curled up under her chin with a yawn. _'Mas…er, Taichou would be so lost without my help_._'_ She congratulated her diligence and sighed as the pale-eyed Hyuuga snuggled her like a stuffed animal even if she was muttering something about "strong back muscles being good for clutching."

Grabbing a clean shirt from his backpack and donning his hitai-ate, Naruto exited his tent and waved to Choji as he headed down to the water's edge to wash.

Kurenai, no longer feeling bashful after re-establishing her genjutsu, also repositioned closer to the water's edge.

Naruto stretched and flexed, his shorts providing no issues with wading into the muddy shore. The morning was cool but not overly chilly. It wouldn't have made any difference as he rarely felt the cold. He always ran warm thanks to the Kyuubi, something that kept the twins wrapped around him at night.

Cool water after waking up with Hinata right next to him also helped to cool his blood. She made him feel warm inside, happy. He hoped they could be really close friends. Could they be more? That was a question for another day.

* * *

Kurenai's eyes traced every line. The warm plate last night was a sweet touch but this display first thing in the morning was getting her face flushed. Unbidden, her left hand started to wander.

* * *

As Naruto's thoughts bounced around in his mental file folder, he began trickling chakra to his eyes and ears while drawing a kunai from his pouch. This particular kunai had a long wire attached to it. Slowing his breathing and his movements, his arm took aim and shot out, the corded muscles in his back and arm snapping like a whip as the kunai struck home. Seven more tosses and eight fish were soon lined up on the shore for breakfast, two for him, one fish each for Hinata, Shika, Kurenai, and three fish for Choji. As an afterthought, he cast the line once more for Sua-chan.

He paused as he stepped out of the water trying to decide if that was heavy panting he was hearing. When he recognized the other sounds that accompanied the frantic panting (the moaning and gasping), he immediately cut off the chakra to his ears and gathered up the fish deciding it would be better to gut them at camp. He could always discard the innards and bury them somewhere using Doton jutsu. The stifled whimper in the trees behind him gave all the incentive needed to hurry.

Other than Choji asking him if he was feeling well, Naruto went about prepping the catch while Choji started pulling out the items needed to make rice and season the fish. By the time Hinata and Shika made it to the fire, Naruto's blush was gone, breakfast was ready, and the four were ready for a new day.

When Naruto shared the morning meal with Kurenai sensei, he tried not to notice her lidded eyes and the heady aroma coming from her body.

"Shika?"

"Yeah, Choji."

"I know our dads want another Ino-Shika-Cho combo but… er, can we trade Ino for Naruto?" Shikamaru's laughter could be heard on the other side of the lake.

* * *

Ino sneezed while trying to re-light their fire pit scattering sticks and twigs in all directions.

* * *

Periodically, Iruka sensei would come by to check on the camps. He made no comments about the various groups banding together (several others had done the same) but he did comment on their teamwork. None of them seemed fatigued or malnourished by the third day (like that would ever happen with an Akimichi on their team) and their camp seemed orderly, even complete with traps and tripwires tied to alarms.

By the fifth day, the group had a comfortable routine and could have kept the exercise going for another week easily. It all ended without issue, although Naruto was more careful about his morning baths.

In the end, Naruto finished the first year near the top of the class still behind "the teme." Stealth, survival, and traps bolstering his score. Impartial instructors helped a great deal in getting decent grades. Naruto figured it best to do just enough to stay under the Uchiha. If he outscored him on an exam, he'd miss a few points to lower his score the next time around. He didn't mind losing out in target practice, but he refused to lose in taijutsu, a trend that would follow him to the end of his academy days.

Word spread through the village and it was, as expected, ill-received. Some villagers even pressed council members to order an investigation into the demon child's cheating as no one could defeat the Uchiha without obviously having to resort to foul play.

Naruto took it all with a rather large grain of salt.

The second academic year saw his rivalry with Kiba taken up another notch in the belt. The dog-nin made another challenge during the afternoon spar but this time they were allowed to use nin-ken so he figured he could make a good showing and win Hinata away from the blond failure. The Inuzuka, as a result, became more aggressive and, during one particularly heated win over a non-clan student, yelled that he would become the "alpha" and win his mate from the blond "dobe." None in their tight-knit group found that amusing, least of all the lone Hyuuga.

"She's not a prize, mange, so stop stalking her." Kiba merely glared at the whiskered boy and snarled.

"Today you go down, loser!" Naruto merely smirked as Tatsua took her place and slammed her fuzzy tail on the ground, cracking it in a spiderweb spiral out from the point of impact. Suddenly the Kitsune seemed less snuggly to the Inuzuka duo.

Mizuki started the match and Kiba snarled out, "Beast Mimicry!" Kiba's muscles bulged and Naruto cut the chakra to his gravity seals. Shrieking out, _"Gatsuga!"_ the boy and his dog turned into whirling drills and rocketed towards the Uzumaki duo, who leaped above them to let the drills pass. Kiba didn't have the best control yet so he couldn't spin back around fast enough and had to halt his attack before he drilled himself out of the ring.

Turning to face Naruto, he blocked a flying roundhouse and responded with an ax kick that was blocked in kind. The two began to trade blows and counters while Akamaru tried repeatedly to pin Tatsua, the slower dog snapping for her forelegs only to have the fox leap to the side and swipe her tail across the Akamaru's head or body, knocking him repeatedly to the ground.

"Akamaru!" Kiba yelled after a particularly brutal swiped knocked the dog out of the air. "That's it boy, _Dynamic Marking!" _Akamaru hopped back before leaping high into the air, his body spinning like a top as he shot urine out in all directions. The entire class cringed as it soaked Kiba's opponents (they were trapped in the ring and couldn't flee without being disqualified) and even splashed some of the Sasuke Fanclub who was too busy laughing to dodge being splashed.

It became less funny when some of the dog's urine got in their mouths.

Naruto was disgusted and quickly becoming enraged. Iruka was incensed. The teacher body flickered into the center of the ring and cuffed the snickering Inuzuka on the top of his head. At least Akamaru had the decency to feel ashamed at the technique as it wasn't meant for humiliating a classmate during a routine spar.

As Iruka excused Naruto to go home and get cleaned up, he dragged the still snickering Inuzuka to detention while Mizuki marked the fight as "postponed." It would be the one non-victory in Naruto's academy career.

Naruto and Tatsua reeked when they reached the apartment. Tamami sent them directly to the bathroom without saying a word, her nose pinched closed by her fingers. The two spent several hours trying to remove the chakra infused dog urine in the shower and Tatsua was beyond furious muttering the whole time about having a shaggy dog liner for her winter coat hood. Even Naruto scrubbing her hair and tails couldn't completely assuage her mood as she wanted revenge in the worst way.

On a positive note, she was growing less hesitant about sharing a shower with him.

Every spar for the remainder of the year, the two would stop holding back trying not to injure the dog-nin and his nin-ken. Their matches would be brutally quick, less than a minute total with Kiba and his companion taking a beating that often left them both unconscious. As a result, Akamaru never used that disgusting technic in another spar despite his partner's often demanding requests to do so.

By the end of the year, Kiba would have to bribe his partner to continue the spars as he began to develop a genuine fear of the baby fox fighting with Naruto.

Akamaru developed a near phobic-level fear of the fox's tail.

By the end of his second year, Naruto had grown from the class midget to a few centimeters taller than Sasuke. With the help of the shinobi library, his personal jutsu library contained extensive information on basic seal theory, chakra control, and a large number of elemental jutsu from each of the five primary elements, grades E through C rank, his only real weakness being the dreaded **Bunshin no Jutsu**. It wasn't until the end of the year that Naruto's life would change for the strange and provide an alternative to his bunshin nemesis.

_'Again, Taichou.' _Naruto crossed his fingers and finished the seal sequence for the twentieth time, three puffs of smoke exploded in front of him. For the twentieth time, three sickly bunshins fell flat on the ground.

He could almost hear the frustration in the transformed Kitsune's bark.

_'You're still putting too much chakra into the exercise.'_ Naruto huffed and released the genjutsu. _'You just need a tiny amount for this. Try using what you use for the camping jutsus, Tai-.'_ The rest of her thought was cut off by Mizuki sensei landing in the middle of the training area.

"Still at it, Naruto?" Mizuki had a large scroll strapped to his back along with two large Fuma shuriken. Naruto released his seal and lowered his hands turning to fully face the angry-looking instructor. Something felt…_off_.

"Late night for a stroll, sensei. Can I be of help?"

"Certainly Naruto. I'd like you to be a good demon and die for me."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion, especially since the older shinobi wasted the chance for a quick kill by stopping to dialogue and giving up the element of surprise. "I am not a demon, so I don't think I can help you there." Mizuki's face twisted into a rictus of anger.

"DO NOT MOCK ME _DEMON_!"

The man was livid, but Naruto remained unphased. "I am not the Kyuubi." Naruto patted his stomach and smiled. "No, she is nice and warm right in here."

_**'****Strike. Him. Down.'**_ Kyuubi's normally dulcet voice was deep and menacing.

Mizuki's eye twitched and his hand snapped over his shoulder, one of the Fuma uncoiling with a click and spinning like a saw blade. "You dare?!" His voice was a hiss as his arm shot out, the spinning blade slashed through the air. Naruto vanished and the blade struck the first tree in its path.

"That's not very nice sensei. You could have hurt me there." Mizuki's eyes were frantic, searching left and right for the voice.

"Come out so weee… can discuss it, Naruto." Mizuki eased his last Fuma out of its sling and edged towards cover.

"I don't think that will work for me, sensei." Mizuki's head shot back over his left shoulder. _'__Had he moved? So quick.'_

"They'll never accept you, you know that, right?" The answer to his question came from directly behind, Mizuki's eyes nearly bugging out of his head.

"And I don't think you're up to any good with that scroll marked 'Property of the Hokage's Secret Vault' so I'll need to take that back."

The Chunin instructor spun to slash across his body and found only air. Leaping to reach the safety of the upper branches, Mizuki found his upward progress rudely interrupted by a crushing grip, his body yanked back to the earth violently. "Gaaah!"

Mizuki tried to stand and found his leg wouldn't support him. No way he could escape like that and now ANBU were more than likely on his trail. He'd have to kill the Kyuubi brat and blame the theft on him. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do for now.

"Let's end this, demon!"

"Yes, let's."

Four heavy thuds struck the ground, a metallic clang echoing into the trees. A streak passed Mizuki and his world blurred as well, blood (and a few teeth) erupting from his mouth. When he stood shakily on one leg, another blow knocked the wind from his lungs and smashed him against a tree.

"Your lessons in class were always wrong, sensei..." Another blow sent him rolling back into the clearing and he still couldn't see the demon child.

"…but I could see through you." A blow snapped the bones in his right forearm, the shuriken spun out of control and to the ground.

"Can you see through me?"

Mizuki found the laughter after that very disturbing. With one eye and the entire side of his face swollen, he couldn't see well. With his jaw broken, he couldn't yell at the demon brat either. Only a frustrated gurgle escaped his swollen lips.

"Goodnight sensei. Kyuubi is looking forward to seeing you in hell."

Mizuki's eyes went wide again right before there was a crushing blow to the back of his neck and his world went dark.

Naruto dropped the camouflage as he re-energized his weighted seals, his body rippling into view as the light blue reinforcement aura faded away. Mizuki lay broken and bleeding at his feet but alive. With a heavy sigh, he reached down and lifted the large scroll to strap it to his back then, with curiosity getting the better of him, unfurled the first few feet of it. Being almost a meter in width, it was rather large, large enough to hold almost two-dozen justu clearly written in the flowing styles of multiple authors.

Tamami shimmied up his leg and back regaining her perch to better peer down at the scroll, her curiosity well and peaked. She was Kitsune and Kitsune were curious by nature. She shook her muzzle to clear the sudden burst of pheromones, her eyes heavily lidded for a moment before the seal on the back of her neck pulsed and she could regain her focus.

Naruto's mind committed the first half dozen to memory before it clicked as to what exactly Mizuki had done. With a gasp, he snapped the scroll closed again, strapped it to his back as Mizuki had done before hefting the heavy sack of dead weight. Taking to the trees, and later to the rooftops of Konoha, Naruto streaked across town to the office of the Hokage.

It was later as the traitor was being hauled to medical confinement that the import of the night's events resonated in Naruto's (now) high-functioning mind. Mizuki was fleeing Konoha to become a missing-nin. Mizuki was fleeing Konoha with the sealed scroll of forbidden jutsu, one of the closest guarded secrets held in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Mizuki was a traitor.

Killing Naruto was nothing more than a bonus, a perk that comes with being an evil bastard.

The Hokage, after having finally called off the search for the scroll, was complimenting the student on his timely and appropriate action saying that his efforts possibly saved dozens of Konoha nin, and perhaps the city itself given what was on that scroll. For his efforts, he was to be awarded successful completion of an A-class mission, for while Mizuki himself only rated a B-rank threat, recovery of the scroll was worth far more.

"Come by tomorrow after class Naruto and I will pay out the voucher myself."

Naruto's smile nearly made his eyes vanish. "Hai, Jiji-sama." Hiruzen's face crinkled into a smile before briefly turning serious.

"I must ask Naruto, whether you studied the scroll's contents?" Naruto didn't miss a step or the Hokage's voice inflection, his eyes locking onto the Hokage's face and never wavering.

"No, Jiji. While I did open the scroll to see what he stole, I immediately closed it once I recognized what it was then promptly returned to your balcony with Mizuki-teme in hand."

He conveniently left out the fact that one of Kyuubi's gifts upon removing the limiters was a photographic memory that could memorize each stroke and dot of entire pages at a time, which he had also taken full advantage of while reading the three bunshin jutsu variants along with the next three jutsus on that forbidden scroll. With that knowledge successfully squirreled away in his brain, he was planning to add them to his jutsu library with Tama-chan. Heck, two of those jutsus had his father's name on them as the author and, by right, were part of his inheritance. He would not apologize for being gifted.

"Very good Naruto. Why don't you go home and get some well-earned rest? I will see you tomorrow after school." Naruto knew enough to recognize that the conversation was over. He was gone before the old man had struck fire to his pipe with his right index finger.

As Naruto leaped away, his mind reached in to poke his inner muse. _'Neh, Kyuubi-chan. Mizuki fell pretty easy. Do you think that I'm ready to take on the Inuzuka or the Hyuuga yet?'_

Kyuubi had to consider that request. Mizuki, while a bastard, was a Chunin instructor arguably more knowledgeable than the average Chunin, an elite if you will. They knew next to nothing about Inuzuka Pagu or Hyuuga Hoheto and that was a liability.

_**'****It is possible, but we need more information about our targets. We know nothing about them. Would you stumble onto a wounded bear unprepared?'**_ Naruto shook his head.

_'What can we do? I can't get near either clan house to spy. The Hyuuga are too good at seeing my chakra and those damnable mutts have strong noses… very strong noses.'_

Kyuubi smiled. _**'We do it the Kitsune way then.'**_ Naruto landed then dashed into his apartment and closed all the blinds. Once he'd locked his door, he plopped down in the middle of his "living room" and turned inward.

_**'I want you to summon the Kage no Futago Kitsune. They will find what we need.'** _Naruto rose and pricked his thumb with a canine, the seals running through his mind for the summoning. Once he felt the energy build, he slashed the blood from his thumb across his palm and slammed the bloody appendage on the floor with a firm, _**Kutchiose no Jutsu: Kage no Futago!**_ Naruto spent the next few minutes looking for a window to crack open while Tamami flicked on the oven hood fan.

When the smoke cleared, two black foxes, all black save for a small white patch under their chins, sat calmly with their tails swishing back and forth along the carpet. Both glanced over the two tails before their eyes locked onto Naruto. Snapping to rigid attention, the shadow twins bowed with their paws extended until Naruto inclined his noggin.

"What is your wish, Taichou?" Naruto spun a painting around that hung on the wall behind his couch, ripping off two hand-sketched portraits to hold up in front of the foxes.

"These two, Inuzuka Pagu," he waggled the left portrait ignoring the snicker from the smaller Kitsunes, "… and Hyuuga Hoheto," he waggled the second portrait, "…are my enemies. I need to know my enemies, almost as well as I know myself." The red eyes of the two dark-furred foxes glistened as they yipped once before leaping out of the now fully open kitchen window (thanks to Tatsua).

Naruto returned the portraits to their hiding spot. He'd dealt with Watanabe but couldn't find Yamanaka Rikuto anywhere – it was like the man had vanished from the face of the planet. Perhaps he should have asked them to locate him as well. _'__Oh well,'_ the boy thought. He would focus on how to get past the Yamanaka mind control later. Dogs and creepy eyes would come easier since they could see those threats.

An inspired thought crossed his mind. "Tatsua dear." The golden-eyed vixen looked up at her Taichou's curious tone. "We have many types of Kitsune in the army. Do we have assassins as well?" Tatsua paled but nodded her head.

"Good, I need the names of two of them, two that will become my go-to shadow hands when I need to be… isolated from blame." Tatsua bowed deeply then went rummaging through a journal of her own written in the ancient Kitsune dialect.

While she was engaged, Naruto turned his attention to the new scrolls he'd finished copying from his mind to fresh parchment.

By the end of the week, he'd learned the _Kage Bunshin, Daibakuha Kage Bunshin, _and the _Shuriken Kage Bunshin _variants, and had those scrolls on individual sheets sealed in his personal library. True mastery would have to come over time. The other three jutsus he picked up would be saved for later, once he had more secure storage arranged.

~III~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes: Diary of a Perverted Sensei**

I never believed that all of the men in Kishimoto's world were horrific perverts, closet or otherwise, while all of the women (except for Anko) were perfect saints. A lot of the excentric behavior was brought on by the trauma of their extremely violent lives and Kurenai has had just as horrible a kunoichi life as any male.

So, I gave her a perversion of her own only hers is super buried below the surface. Just because she has these thoughts doesn't mean she's gonna mob her Genin. She has a bit more control than that but it does play better into her "Ice Queen" reputation as she overcompensates to throw off suspicion based on her less than acceptable behavior.

I remember the first time I published this story and folks went ber-_zerrrrrrkooid!_ I guess making Kurenai less than perfect is a cardinal sin. So, guess what? I left it in this version as well.

Enjoy!

~Siva'a


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: A Dozen of My Closest Friends**_

~III~

* * *

Naruto hated bunshin jutsus.

By the start of the third Academy year, he had improved his chakra control to the point that he could cast a successful "normal" bunshin jutsu so long as he made a minimum of twenty copies. They were no longer sickly and pale or incapacitated due to irritable bowel syndrome. It was frustrating to no end that he still needed such large numbers as he was required to make three, and only three, for the final test. Worse was the fact that he knew what the issue was since he and Tama-chan had discovered it last year while he was learning some of the camping jutsus that were so very helpful during the survival test.

It didn't matter that he had mastered substitution and (what the academy called) transformation jutsus to the point they were both seal-less and almost traceless. Without those damnable bunshins, he'd fail to pass _again_ so he continued whittling down the amount of chakra used for that by improving his control.

For good measure, he also learned the D-rank body flicker jutsu in the genin-slash-Chunin section of the library to the same level. It was supposed to be short-range – about one hundred meters - but, by overloading the jutsu with chakra, he could flicker up to a thousand meters fairly easily. He had the hardest time under five meters, but he presumed that was due to his issues with chakra management. It would improve with everything else.

_Flashback no Jutsu_

_Naruto was a bit more cautious this time as he approached the tee-peed pile of dry kindling. His face was still a touch red from the last attempt and his smoldering shirt would have to be replaced tomorrow. He hoped his eyebrows would grow back before class._

_With deep breaths to clear his mind, he began to slowly exhale trickling as small a stream of chakra to the index finger of his right hand, his index finger and thumb touching at the tips trying to build up pressure before he released them with the snapping of his fingers. After barely waiting for a two count, Naruto flicked his finger while poking his hand in between the sticks of the twig pyre. The gout of flame that erupted from his digit tore into the base of the wood and, now trapped by the mini logs, exploded in all directions between the stick fragments and straight up through the apex of the pile in a blast of flame._

_Tamami sighed while he doused his eyebrows and flaming bangs for the fifth time that night. "You're still pushing too much chakra through the jutsu." She flicked her finger and a tiny five-centimeter flame lit at the end of her index finger. "It should look like this."_

_With the flame thrower shooting two meters from the end of his still lit finger, all Naruto could do was groan in frustration and try again. He was really starting to hate the smell of burnt hair._

_Tamami extinguished his finger first by using another camping jutsu to compress water from the air._

_Flashback no Jutsu – KAI!_

Naruto was improving but he needed more time to practice or he needed to be in two places at once. He just didn't have enough time to devote to chakra and elemental control exercises with his schedule.

Then he remembered the notes on the Kage Bunshin and nearly face-palmed himself. According to the author, Kage Bunshin were much sturdier constructs that had the capacity to relay experience back to the original caster because of the imprinted chakra brain – they could learn and, by doing so, help you learn. Oh, it did nothing for muscle development due to being a purely chakra-built construct but reading, studying (frankly any cognitive development skill), spying, and even chakra or elemental control exercises were all under the purview of the Kage Bunshin. He could literally be in two places at once, or more.

Kage Bunshins divided the chakra of the usher up among the number of constructs created. While useful, it proved hazardous if you tried to make too many, hence the reason why it was dangerous to, and forbidden out of the reach of most shinobi below Jounin level.

There were many reasons why each village had varied shinobi distributed in each rank tier and chakra capacity played centrally into a lot of that. While not as big an issue for Naruto (ten percent of his chakra still put him in the chakra ranks of most Jounin and some Kage or low S-ranked nins) it was enormously taxing. Taking into account that the average Kage Bunshin could last up to eighteen hours (according to the notes), the amount of chakra in Naruto's Kage Bunshin meant they stayed around a lot longer.

When I say, 'a lot,' I mean ridiculous amounts.

The first time he successfully made a batch, they lingered for over four weeks. This was great for Tamami and her chakra or jutsu training. It was horrible for their food budget - one Naruto was a lot to feed, ten Narutos was detrimental and should be illegal in most nations and, while made of chakra, the clones exhibited all of his habits, including an addiction to ramen in all its forms.

Before Naruto could master the exploding bunshin, he had to fix the regular Kage Bunshin. Since these constructs had his knowledge and use of jutsu, he put them to work (with Tamami's help) solving the riddle of chakra control and elemental proficiency while Tatsua worked his real body into the ground. In the end, it became a simple math problem.

They first had to quantify the problem of consumption and began with _"one-tenth of Naruto's chakra is a metric butt-ton for anyone else." _That established, how does that equate to a normal shinobi casting the jutsu? So, Tamami learned it and created her own, which lasted a little over twelve hours before dispersing in a cloud of smoke. Furthermore, the bunshin construct's use of chakra depleted its "life force" faster, causing them to expire sooner, something good to keep in the back of their minds. Beyond even that, they learned that one Kage Bunshin was roughly twenty times more powerful than a regular Bunshin since Tamami used the same amount of chakra for a Kage Bunshin to cast a normal bunshin jutsu and created twenty of the ghost-like clones.

Taking the twenty-to-one potency of Naruto's chakra (a rounded off guess based on the camping mishap), they assumed that his use of chakra could be easily compressed if the amount to create twenty of _his_ normal bunshin could be shaped into a chakra construct to create a single Kage Bunshin. They would be considerably weaker and would expire sooner but should still be able to meet their intended function.

Using those numbers, Tamami estimated that her Taichou should be able to create up to five-thousand-four-hundred normal Kage Bunshin shells, without using Kyuubi's chakra, and still keep ten percent of his enormous chakra reserves. They just had to fix the jutsu construct first.

The number was staggering but the implications were that it could be applied to anyone that knew the jutsu. After presenting her findings, she convinced Naruto to create six Kage Bunshin clones, set the first five to working on elemental affinity training she'd discovered in a library tome, then took the last construct to work on her theory.

They eventually constructed a stable "shell," or a bunshin made out of a set amount of compressed chakra and, in the process, discovered two very interesting facts.

Fact One: They found out that what they considered "normal chakra users" could not use the "hollow shell" construct to much effect. Tamami's clones, depending on activity, could only last between thirty to sixty minutes. For short, simple tasks or sparring matches, this was usually sufficient. For very complex, labor-oriented task or for their intended purpose of espionage and or information gathering on troop formations, this variant didn't fit the bill…unless you were either already deep into enemy territory or you were Naruto and your equivalent chakra usage at the same ratio gave your clones nineteen hours of life under full transformation. Once the Kage Bunshin mastered this shaping technique and could replicate the action, it popped itself with a cloned kunai and the knowledge replicated not only in the original but also with all of the remaining clones working on elemental affinity. There were limits, however.

Traditional shadow clones were limited in range based on the power of the user since they were linked by a very fine lifeline of chakra. Break the line and the construct "died." The Hokage, for example, could push clones throughout most of Konoha, the tether transmitting information back to him flawlessly. The standalone clones Naruto created had much greater range but tended to become spotty the further out they traveled, some even failing to relay any experience at all over several hundred miles.

It seemed like bits and pieces of the information would get lost in transmission or the information replay would skip sections like when the movie at the theater became tangled in the projector and slowed or sped up randomly jumbling the words and images on the screen. If Naruto wanted reliable, or decipherable, information from his clones, he needed to be within one hundred miles. Anything beyond that was a crapshoot.

The force and information-related implications of this jutsu were still rather enormous.

First of all, Naruto had an army of clones at his disposal, at a moment's notice, capable of using all of the skills and jutsu he had learned to date. If he never summoned the full Kitsune army to serve him, impressive in and of its own right, he was an invasion (or defending) force unto himself. He was a force multiplier of one. They never needed to rest and could think, react, and plan independently. They were portable, fully trained, fearless, and most of all, deadly. Their ability to use Naruto's extension, reinforcement and elemental skillsets only made them deadlier since that all made them harder to kill than a normal Kage Bunshin even if it reduced their lifespan to a third. A Kage Bunshin in a fight only needs to be effective long enough to distract, disable, or dismember and that doesn't normally take five hours to accomplish.

Second, once you considered his formidable stealth, trapping, transformation, and infiltration repertoire, they by default become the ultimate spy, assassination, or infiltration asset. If a method for replenishing their chakra ever became viable, they would make the perfect long term undercover asset under the direct control of their caster. The ramifications for an absolutely loyal and completely disposable spy network with instant information relaying capabilities? *shudder*

Third, Kage Bunshin were the ultimate multi-tasking tool. Once the chakra consumption and life-span (read ramen consumption issue) had been solved, clones became the ultimate training tools. Now hundreds of clones could be replicated to work either individual projects (if they were small enough) or in groups, which increased the pace of learning and their overall effectiveness.

Naruto put that to immediate use having a cell of one hundred clones working on the _Bunshin Daibakuha _jutsu in some isolated woodland area far beyond Konoha's walls. With each clone able to make another ten clones to experiment with, the exercise yielded positive results by the end of the day and, just like that, his Kage Bunshin developed another very useful tool for Naruto's ninja tool bag.

Fact Two: The second major discovery arrived at the end of the day when Tamami discovered an unintended benefit to a Kage Bunshin being dedicated full time to elemental affinity, particularly earth elemental affinity. The training technique described in the latest library book required the practitioner to find a spot replete with the element in demand, the rockier the better. Once situated comfortably in a meditative pose, chakra was released in tendrils, like the roots of a tree, down into the soil as far as possible with the intent being to feel out different types of ore and categorize the elements by type. This probing would further refine the user's control and enable the categorization, consolidation and (ultimately) extraction of those elements to the surface under the control of the earth chakra user.

This type of practice was used by shinobi in Iwa to mine, landscape and pursue other geological endeavors. Really talented chakra users could also modify different crystalline matrixes converting one element to another (compressing carbon enough could create diamonds but a fine touch was needed to make the diamond matrix structure stable). So, it was a surprise when the clones returned late in the afternoon as their chakra was about to fail and the clone assigned to earth affinity exercises set his note-taking scroll onto the kitchen table just as he exploded in a cloud of smoke. Inside were his notes with a newly inked storage seal at the bottom.

When Naruto unsealed the scroll his breath immediately escaped in a high-pitched whistle. Laying on the scroll were seven piles of common elements, coal, iron, tin, copper, silver, gold, and chakra metal, all in nuggets the size of his head. His mind immediately flashed to a conversation in Higurashi-san's forge over the only bar he'd seen of the metal as the elder blacksmith went through its highly-desirable properties, which contributed to its highly-inflated value.

Chakra metal naturally lent itself to chakra conduction through lower levels of cellular contamination than say high-grade steel, making it a very highly pursued commodity in weapons manufacturing.

The bar in Higurashi's delivery was a refined block half the length of his forearm, two-thirds as wide as the same, and ten centimeters in height and that block was worth ten thousand Ryu to the right buyer. Gram for gram in volume it was forty percent lighter than high-grade steel, twice as strong, and shined with a bluish tinge to the milky-blue metal. The color was distinctive and appealed greatly to the noble classes indicating a weapon of distinction. The block Higurashi had was commissioned by a wealthy noble in the capital city, so Naruto couldn't get to work with it, but now he had ten times as much in the same high-grade metal.

Naruto would make clone mining a regular occurrence after that discovery.

The grizzled blacksmith did let Naruto work alongside him while crafting the noble's blade, a ceremonial dagger that would be later encrusted with jewels before it disappeared on some mantel as a trinket to be dusted periodically. As he learned, chakra metal is a fickle mistress and difficult to work, however, Higurashi used a unique set of molds, using _Doton_ jutsu, to press the metal into shape once it reached the right temperature. Beginning with coke instead of the normal charcoal provided better heat control. As for shaping and refining the metal, it had to be hot and pliable without fracturing while Higurashi worked the details with brass hammers and chisels of increasingly smaller size. Naruto's skillful use of Katon jutsus also helped to reduce working time and kept a more even heat to the forging process, something Higurashi liked and appreciated a great deal.

Working the metal was arduous but the shop's quality never lagged. As thanks for his help (another pair of talented hands is always helpful), Higurashi paid Naruto five-hundred Ryu from the dagger's profits, offering to let the boy help in an ever-increasing number of projects, especially since Tenten never liked smithing preferring instead to work on her personal weapon stash. With Naruto, Higurashi had found a true apprentice.

Tenten, in the bargain, found eye candy to help pass the time in the store.

Looking at the payload on the table one last time, Naruto figured he had more than enough metal to make the punch-knives and matching tanto floating around in the back of his head. Tomorrow he would send out another Kage Bunshin, so it could pick up where today's clone left off at, and then an army of Kage Clones to take geological samples looking for more rich veins to harvest. There was opportunity here.

With a strong hug to Tamami (he liked the way she squished against him as his face was finally high enough it nestled snugly between her breasts and not below them), Naruto popped off a Kage Clone to clean up the ore and headed off to the shower. He was happy enough that he didn't even get weirded out by the already naked Kitsune women that followed him.

Naruto wanted to enjoy the rest of his Sunday off. Seeing as his morning had been successful with his clone endeavors, he scooped up Tatsua much to her pleasant surprise and slung her over his shoulder with a gentle pat on her shapely rear. The shocked Kitsune squeaked out a surprised moan then reverted to her chibi form to better snuggle around his shoulders. With a quick peck on the lips to Tamami (and a shifty pat of her right cheek), he strode from the apartment wanting to take in the pleasant day.

With no clear destination in mind, he invariably found himself at Ichiraku's and the smiling faces of Teuchi and Ayame as the former dished up a bowl of pork ramen and the latter nuzzled his cheek in welcome, much to the jealous displeasure of the few customers already leering at her firm backside.

Naruto ignored their sour faces and dug into his first bowl. Tatsua chirped happily as she hopped her way to the stool next to him when Ayame lowered a plate of grilled beef strips for her to nibble on. With paws on the counter and face happily chomping away, the happy kit chirped and trilled as her bushy tail swished back and forth. She was beginning to really like the ramen girl.

_'Taichou, can we make a harem and include Ayame-san?'_ she chirped through the seal.

Naruto tried hard not to choke on the steaming noodles he was trying studiously to inhale as he listened to the family pair chatter and joke about recent events.

_'No! She's like a sister! A MUCH older sister!'_

The chibi kit huffed once and dug into her snack and a disappointed chirp.

Amidst the happy conversation with the shop owner and his daughter, Naruto noticed a mild itching between his shoulder blades. Lifting his head from his bowl and swiveling around on his stool, the blonde student lowered his face until he could see under the hanging banners marking the establishment. What he saw made him pause in his chewing.

Standing in the middle of the street was a brown-haired female wearing a Chunin flak vest, the front unzipped enough to show the top of her appreciable cleavage and confirm no mesh shirt or tee shirt underneath. Form hugging shorts covered her lower half to about mid-thigh with a storage belt around her waist to hold shuriken, kunai and presumably other objects of war. Dark combat sandals and a bracer on her left arm rounded out her ensemble. Her long hair was held back in a ponytail except for two strands framing her face. What really caught his attention, other than the three dogs at her feet intently watching the fox kit next to him, were the two red triangles on her cheeks just below her non-slitted eyes, a trait he thought common in all Inuzuka given the few times he'd seen Kiba with his mother Tsume.

Their eyes met and the girl seemed… conflicted. Not wanting to start drama on his peaceful day out, Naruto slowly turned back to his meal and resumed eating. At some point, the older Inuzuka woman came to a decision because she slid into the stool on his left side, away from the Tatsua, and turned so that she was facing him.

Naruto inhaled deeply marking her scent as Tatsua had taught him, something that caught the nin-ken kunoichi by surprise. When he swallowed his mouthful of noodles, he turned to her and she started at the deep blue of his eyes and the golden slits making his pupils very foxlike.

"Can I help you, Inuzuka-san?" He had to pause when he heard Tatsua hissing angrily behind him, his head whipping around to see one of the dog triplets sniffing her cautiously.

"Souta! Leave her be! Same goes for you two." The identified nin-ken slinked to his master's side and laid flat on the ground, tongue lolling nearly to his paws.

Teuchi and Ayame had paused their work to observe what they hoped wouldn't be a nasty encounter. When it seemed like things had quieted, they reluctantly went back to the grill.

Tatsua lowered her hackles enough to scarf down her last piece of beef and scuttled back onto her perch around his neck, her angry eyes taking in the much larger dogs next to the Inuzuka woman sitting very closer to her Taichou. The tip of her tail flicked irritatingly in a very cat-like fashion.

Inuzuka Hana smiled at the interaction between the boy and his fox. It explained his spicy-earthy scent mixed in with the fox's own. A sudden urge grabbed her, and she leaned forward just a bit before taking in a deep whiff of him, her eyes glazing over slightly as they reopened showing an increased dilation of her warm pupils.

Naruto noted that her deep brown eyes had a measure of warmth he had not seen in either Kiba or the clan matron. Too bad he could neither trust nor befriend her. His rivalry with Kiba made that a certainty at the least.

"You never answered my question."

Hana blinked forgetting for a second what his question was. "Oh, I wanted to… apologize." She appeared to be having difficulty focusing. Two of the dogs at her feet began to whine and sniff at her with concern so she turned to them and hissed, "I know, Sora!" He noticed the woman's fingers gripping her thighs tightly.

Naruto smiled thanking Kyuubi once again for his overly abundant youki-enhanced pheromone production. If things turned ugly, it just might give him a second or two to escape mostly unharmed.

However, if she was to become sexually aggressive...

"Apologize for what? As far as I know, you've done nothing to harm me."

"As the next heir to my clan, I am responsible for the actions of my clan and we, the Inuzuka, have wronged you." His eyes darkened at the memory of a certain Inuzuka not in his academy class.

"There is nothing you can do to make that right." His anger continued to smolder but the golden slits in them faded away to reveal round pupils of inky midnight.

Hana found herself being drawn into those deep eyes, her body burning with the heat blossoming in her core. Sora chuffed at her and she barely stopped her left hand as it slowly began to reach out for his whiskered cheek. The boy noticed with his eyes but didn't shy away from her. _'__What is wrong with me?'_

"Is there no way to make peace between us?"

"Do you know what Pagu did during the attack on me?"

His question shocked her since no one in her clan actually spoke of what happened, not even to the heirs; it was what they called a "baring of the soul," a closed-door discussion with Tsume and the eldest of the pack in one of the Inuzuka's oldest traditions.

The Inuzuka Clan Head, be they male or female, entered a very special location set deep in the clan's pack lands, a place sacred to all Inuzuka. It was so sacred that to enter without an invitation was to invite punishment under the brutal Hundred Claws, punishment - a passing Fang Over Fang attack on the violator from ten separate Inuzuka clansmen - which more often than not ended in the death of the trespasser.

Once there, the Council of Elders stripped bare to the loincloth as a symbolic gesture to prove they bore no ill will and the meeting was conducted while the location was sealed up and subjected to sauna-like conditions from the central hearth filled with stones kept heated through low-powered Katon jutsus.

The oppressive heat was to symbolize solidarity with the pain of a victim wronged by someone of the clan as they sweated through the ceremonial discussion. It was also tradition that while under the roof of that sacred place no untruth could be spoken otherwise bad karma would affect each and every member of the Kabul.

It had been almost fifty years since the clan last needed to hold such a meeting, much to her mother's shame. Hana, even as the heir knew nothing of what was discussed in that conclave only that it centered around the pup staring at her with those piercing blue eyes, the same pup waiting for an answer to his question.

Hana shook her head no, choosing to wrap her arms around her own waist to keep them and her hands under control; she could feel the bruises forming where her fingers had dug into her thighs.

"He was the one that found me while I was trying to escape the mob chasing me, a small child. He waited until I decided to make a break for my home then stabbed me in the back with a kunai, the blade piercing my right lung from behind and knocking me to the ground. I was six and malnourished at the time so it wouldn't take much to knock me over."

Everyone in the small stand winced, even the ones that hid scowls when he came around to eat.

She knew why he would attack him like that. Pagu most likely wanted to incapacitate him but not kill him – he wanted to prolong the boy's suffering. The realization made her wince a second time.

"It gets worse. Once the small mob gathered, he made it his personal responsibility to make sure I couldn't escape again." Naruto was running a finger along all of the major joint sections of his body, switching hands as he switched sides. Everyone realized after about the fifth "slice" that he was showing places where his attackers were severing tendons and ligaments so that he couldn't run or defend himself.

_Left wrist._

_Right wrist._

_Left elbow._

_Right elbow._

_Left armpit._

_Right armpit._

_Left knee._

The invisible slashes kept coming as the boy worked his way down to his lower extremities ending at the back of his heels and the Achilles tendon.

Everyone realized after about the fifth "slice" that he was showing places where his attackers were severing tendons and ligaments so that he couldn't run or defend himself.

By this time, Teuchi and Ayame had stopped moving as did the few remaining customers. The horror on all their faces evident as he retold the incident, more so for the store owners as they never head the details before. Naruto always refused to speak of it hiding his pain behind a mask of fake smiles. For once, he had lowered the mask and they were dreading the pain of his secret life.

"While the others hit, kicked, or stabbed me, he cut every tendon he could find. He wanted to make sure I wasn't going anywhere and that they could take their time murdering me. When he ran out of things to sever, he began stabbing vital organs until, I'm told, the ANBU finally arrived to break it up. I don't know for sure since I passed out halfway into the assault."

He leaned forward in his seat just enough to pull her now tear-stained face back to him, her soft brown eyes meeting his deep blue ones with a flinching start.

"Your clan promptly took custody of his punishment so that the village authority could not reach him. To this day, I have no idea what's become of him or whether or not he's even remorseful for what he did to me when I was a defenseless six-year-old boy," Ayame and several others gasped in shock, "…but if he's treated like the others that attacked me he's probably unharmed and being heralded as a hero."

A warm pair of arms wrapped around his body and Naruto turned to his left to see Hinata crying into his neck. She was later joined by Ayame who was glaring darkly at the Inuzuka heiress.

"You tell me, Inuzuka-san. Do you think there can be peace between us?"

The three dogs at her feet were actually hanging their heads in shame. Hana was a sobbing wreck, her face in clear shock and disgust at what she just heard. It's not often that an Inuzuka calls another in their clan an animal and not mean it in a complementary fashion but that was clearly running through her head.

She rose amidst her own sniffles and bowed deeply to the blonde before staggering off in the direction of her clan compound, her nin-ken slinking off with their tails tucked away.

It was clear to her now that the Inuzuka had much to atone for.

~III~

Naruto's life wasn't one horrible mistake or tragedy after another. With his recent bunshin discoveries, you could argue that life was becoming almost bearable. One morning, he even got a chance to pay back the mangy Inuzuka and his mutt.

Seated outside under the group's usual tree, Naruto had finished a test early before the lunch break and went outside to enjoy the sun with Tamami. He'd plopped down under the branches while waiting for the others to finish and could smell the Inuzuka circling around behind him. It was never difficult to smell the Inuzuka.

Naruto motioned for Tatsua to take her perch on his neck just moments before "_**Gatsuga****!**_" rang out from the trees behind them. The spinning duo hit the ground and a massive cloud of dirt shot into the air, the ground next to the tree shredded with their attack. Thinking they'd crushed the boy, Kiba felt the technique hit something solid but there was so much dust he couldn't be sure. It was as he and Akamaru were looking for their rivals that two pairs of hands reached up from the soil and yanked them both down into the earth until their heads were the only things left above ground. Blinking in confusion, Kiba began to curse when the sound of water falling on his hood led to a warm liquid running into his hair and eyes. The whimpering next to him told him that Akamaru had not escaped the same fate and it didn't take the nose of an Inuzuka to figure out what the warm liquid was.

"_**Dynamic Marking!"**_ Naruto gave it his best Kiba imitation with the assistance of another clone before jumping down from the tree and going back inside while clutching his sides.

Kiba was mortified. Not wanting to be embarrassed in front of Hinata kept him from calling out to his classmates for a helping hand. It would take ANBU to free him on one of their routine patrols. They were not happy either about digging the urine-flavored Inuzuka and his yellow-tinged nin-ken out of the ground.

His sister, Hana, thought it was hilarious.

~III~

* * *

**A/N:** A little humor to lighten the payback and angst. Also, I adjusted the metal from the mining adventure to chakra metal vice Titanium. It was a simple fix and allowed me to work more on the next release for "No More," which should be done by Wednesday.

_~Ja Ne!_


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Welcome back.

**Note:** There is an update to Chapter 11 you might want to check out...

* * *

**Chapter 13: Best Served Cold**

~I I I~

* * *

The sun was just starting to lighten up the horizon as Naruto trudged out of the Market quarter. These early morning starts at the forge were wearing him down and his stomach had been yelling at him for the last hour wondering if his throat had been ripped out. Looking down to his left, he could see Tatsua happily trotting alongside him since she refused to ride on his shoulders after a shift at Higurashi's unless he'd been hosed off, always complaining that the soot was impossible to get out of her fur. She seemed a little too pleased with herself - she got to nap the whole time or get petted by Tenten once the girl was back from her early morning workouts with Maito Guy, her sensei.

His nose wrinkled up in displeasure at the thought, especially since she all but browbeat him into accepting the offer to begin with.

Now he was hungry but he wasn't sure if he had time to rush home, shower, change, eat and then make it to school on time given that (he glanced up at the greying sky) he probably had forty-five minutes at best to do all of the above.

With a grunt, the slumped Genin hopeful made a quick detour. Cutting over to one of Konoha's many parks, he found one with a shallow stream leading to a small pond complete with ducks taking an early morning bath. Well, if it's good for them he didn't see why it wouldn't be the same for him.

_'Wait... what are you...'_

She never got the time to finish that sentence as the bright glint hit the blond's face just before he took a deep breath and leaped head-first into the pond. Sitting at the bottom, Naruto slapped his palms together in a quick seal, pulled a small amount of chakra into his core, then pushed. The end result was a small current centered around his body that churned the water and sent the ducks scattering into the early morning sky.

Tatsua grimaced at the churning mini-whirlpool and the slowly expanding spot of grungy water. She could see the soot liquefying and spreading from her dry spot on the shore.

Another twenty seconds or so of this human washing machine action and the blond's head erupted from the surface followed by the rest of his body as he landed on the settling water's surface. He was standing in the middle of a ring of dirty surface water, as the churning action of his chakra had pushed residue out away from his location in all directions. With a satisfied smirk, Naruto trudged back to the shore and repeated the action but this time with wind chakra, the resulting mini-tornado ruffling his clothes and hair as he dried himself thoroughly.

Curious, Tatsua's head quirked over in an unspoken question once her Taichou finished his field grooming.

"Simple Sua-chan. Next, we eat." Tired of his stomach asking why he was punishing it, Naruto hustled back to the main road and, before too long, flopped down onto a stool at his favorite ramen stand to the happy smiles of his extended family.

"Good morning, Naruto!" Ayame was always glad to see him. "You're here early. What's going on?"

The girl had just finished setting up the tables and counter section and had moved to prep work behind the countertop itself. Naruto propped his elbows up on the bar after depositing the fox kit onto a barstool to his right.

"Just finished my morning shift at Higurashi-san's and I'm starving!" Anime tears of suffering poured down his face only to receive a friendly chuckle in return.

"Well, it's too early for ramen as the broth isn't ready yet but I'm sure we can find something you'll eat from our breakfast menu.

Ichiraku's did make more than just ramen. In fact, some of the early morning workers came by as it was one of the few places open so early in the morning and the father-daughter team made everyone welcome. Naruto was happy to have caught them before the morning rush. Perhaps he could eat and get to class without costing them customers.

Today they had a fish stew simmering and it made his mouth water. Ordering that to go with his freshly steaming bowl of rice, a few boiled eggs, and tsukemono pickles, he chewed on his lower lip lost in thought while watching Ayame move effortlessly around the counter stations.

"I know I'm a sight to behold, Ruto, but you're starting to make me blush."

He started as if snapping out of a daydream and blushed a bright red color as she started setting huge servings in front of the dazed student.

"Sorry, nee-chan." With a quick, "Itadakimasu," he snapped his chopsticks and went to work on the stew although not with his normal enthusiasm. The bright customer service specialist that she was, Ayame took note. Placing strips of fish she'd grilled up for the eagerly watching fox kit next to the happily chirping cuddle magnet, she flopped her elbows onto the counter and braced for her intervention of the unlikely introvert.

"Okay, spill!"

Naruto stopped shoveling rice into his face and looked back into the concerned brown eyes of one of the few friends he knew. Taking a few more chews before swallowing a mouthful of tea to wash it down, his eyes flicked down to the bowl of stew that suddenly seemed to captivate all of his focus and took a deep breath.

"Ayame-chan, have you ever... _dated_... before?"

The girl's face brightened like someone stuck a light bulb in her mouth. Naruto's face scrunched up in a wince when she started squealing and he noticed Tatsua had flicked an ear in his direction despite her ongoing attack of the fish quickly disappearing from her plate.

"Don't tell me our Naru-kun has a girlfriend?!" He winced. Kami how he hated that nickname.

Naruto's hands were patting down the air as he tried to bring down her enthusiasm... and the noise level.

"No, I do NOT have a girlfriend. Iiiiiiiiii... just want to know, if I ever wanted to get one of those that is, what... would a guy like me need to do to impress her-someone! enough to get her to like me and... maybe, just maybe mind you...be able to take her out on like an actual date...someday...maybe."

Ayame was grinning like loon despite the lawyer-ish barrage of caveats.

"Maybe, huh?" The girl seemed to be ecstatic for reasons he could not fathom.

"Yes, a definite maybe."

"I'd be glad to help you work through this. This means you'll have to stop by more in the mornings so we have time to talk."

Naruto looked like she'd just thrown him a lifeline. Nodding furiously he began to eat with a little more energy, almost as if a huge weight had shifted from his back.

"Honestly though, Naruto. The best way to impress a girl worth being with is to just be yourself. If she can't accept you for who you are, then she's not worth the effort in my opinion."

The boy stopped frantically shoveling fish stew into his mouth, to be soon followed by more rice and pickles, as he chewed on that bit of advice. It made good sense but he had no worries about her liking him for who he was.

"So, when do we get to meet your little Hyuuga friend?"

Naruto managed to turn his head just in time to not spit tea on or over Ayame's clean counter.

~I I I~

Year three at the academy ended with Naruto firmly in second place, only two points in overall score behind Sasuke but taking the top spot in both taijutsu and ninjutsu. When Iruka asked him why he wasn't working harder to take the top spot, he shrugged and replied, "Let the Uchiha take the glory. Less attention on me so long as I prove my point."

Iruka's brows twisted in curiosity. "Just what point is that, Naruto?"

"That he can't beat me on the battlefield. So long as he keeps that firmly in mind, perhaps he won't be as arrogant."

It was a noble thought Iruka had to admit but it was one that completely bypassed the clan survivor.

Uchihas were never humble.

Uchihas never accepted defeat.

Uchihas didn't take "no" for an answer.

They were the elite of the elite, the best of the best of the best of the… yeah, you get the hint, and the sooner you accepted that the sooner all things could fall into their proper place. In short, they were biologically wired to be arrogant arses.

Naruto was intentionally walking that fine line between the last Uchiha and the Aburame heir when it came to grades. Anytime that subtle balanced shifted too far one way or the other, Naruto's test scores adjusted appropriately to correct the deficiency. The boy could quote texts chapter and verse just as easily as argue why something in the text was wrong or partially outdated. He knew the material and could probably ace the curriculum if he'd but apply himself. For a teacher, he was the model student… unless you knew that he could do better and just refused. Naruto flat out refused, and, to Umino Iruka, that was frustrating to no end tantamount to scholarly treason punishable only by Iruka.

It was through this give-and-take interplay that Iruka's perception of the boy began to change ever so slowly. Before he knew it, he began to see Uzumaki Naruto the boy and less of Uzumaki Naruto the container.

Iruka sighed and glanced up from his stack of papers, Naruto's latest test, a score of ninety-four percent, on top of the stack with two empty blanks (well, technically not empty since he wrote in two smiley faces for answers) and glanced out of the classroom window at the familiar quartet eating lunch under their usual tree just in time to see one Uchiha Sasuke storming up to the blonde ring leader, his deranged fangirls in hot pursuit.

"Oh my, this looks interesting." He body flickered out to the tree branches right above the growing mob.

"On your feet, dobe." One Uchiha Sasuke stood above the lackadaisical blond with his face contorted in full-on pout mode.

"Kiba is already standing behind you, teme." Naruto smirked insolently.

Hinata hid her giggle behind her hands.

Outrage followed from Sakura and the Fangirl Mafia, except for Ino who had a conflicted look on her admittedly pretty face. Sakura was yelling something about showing proper respect to the top rookie.

Growls came from both Kiba and Akamaru.

A trilling hiss from the newly switched out Tatsua, her tail waving in a very snake-like fashion, caused Akamaru to whimper and hide behind Kiba's mop of hair.

"Once I take you in taijutsu, I'll be the undisputed top rookie."

"Congratulations. I'll send you a fruit basket, now if you don't mind-."

"Now! _Dobe_!"

Sasuke's rude manners were beginning to grate. Iruka saw the tension rise and was about to hop down to intervene. He would have to talk with the boy later.

When Naruto looked up from his meal, the temperature around the tree appeared to drop ten degrees. It was enough to make Ino shiver and Iruka pause. As the Yamanaka heiress glanced from Sasuke to Naruto then back to Sasuke, she caught the barest flicker in the blond's eyes almost as if the pupils had become slits, animal-like and unfeeling. When she quickly looked back, whatever it was had gone.

When Naruto stood and stepped the four paces to stand nose-to-nose with the Uchiha, everyone spread out reflexively to make room for the brawl about to happen. Naruto merely looked down to the duck-haired emo and hissed, "Stop being a princess. You know we're not allowed to fight outside of spars but don't worry. I'll happily be your first… and _last_… challenge today."

And just like that, whatever clouds had gathered parted and Naruto returned to his seat while the Uchiha fumed. Sasuke opened his mouth to scream something else when a voice behind him postponed the conflict.

"Everything okay here?" Iruka had body flickered behind the surrounding instigators.

Everything paused while everyone froze and glanced to the blond demon then, like magic, the waters of humanity parted, and people escaped to the other side of the academy yard very intent on various leaf shapes or plumage on the nearest pigeon.

Kiba was trying desperately to coax his partner into another battle this afternoon.

"We're fine Iruka-sensei," Naruto piped up leaving Sasuke blinking in confusion and annoyance. "Sasuke was sharing his passion for today's spars with us."

Iruka nodded and walked back to the classroom. "I look forward to it then."

He wasn't the only one. Shika, Hinata, and Tatsua were fuming, Tatsua trying fiercely to get away from the bluenette's lap she had been napping in completely forgetting her chibi cuteness factor, which did little to intimidate anyone. Even Choji was perturbed (he actually put his bag of chips down shocking Shikamaru). Needless to say, the afternoon spars became the most anticipated event of the day.

~I I I~

Sasuke wasted no time shouting, "I challenge Uzumaki!" Iruka sighed and motioned the two to the ring. Several of his fanbase cheered the emo princess on as he puffed out his chest, an act that provided humor to no great end in Naruto.

It was well known that Sasuke did not train his body, did no physical conditioning whatsoever and, as a result, had the physical musculature of soft clay. He'd removed his shirt once mimicking Naruto's display of male dominance to a chorus of snickers from every other male – and one female – in the class. He didn't even have a tan to detract from the fish-belly-white princess image.

Naruto wondered on some level if he exfoliated to get skin that smooth.

The Sasuke Fangirl Club viciously beat any male classmate that derogatively referred to Sasuke's sublime physique after the _Great White-Out Sparring Incident_, much to his continued annoyance.

With a shrug of his thickening shoulders, Naruto removed his jacket and, for good measure, his shirt since he didn't want another one destroyed. Apparently, this had become a badge of honor among classmates unable to beat him in a spar; "trashing the Dobe's tee shirt" earned you street cred, more or less.

Naruto made it a habit to punish anyone that tried but it never stopped the next attempt.

Hinata blushed as her eyes danced quickly over his flexing muscles and rushed forward to claim his items (to keep them off the dirty ground of course) and plant a quick peck on his left cheek.

Naruto tried not to blush especially when Choji and Shika began cooing.

Ino's eyes grew large as teacups. _'__He's obviously packed on more muscle since the first year_.'

"For luck," she squeaked before blushing bright red and jumping back to her group. Naruto tried not to notice she was sniffing his clothes, her eyes closed in…bliss?

Taking his spot in the ring, he routinely flexed his chest, shoulders, and triceps to force blood into them, also enjoying the effect his actions had on Hinata. He didn't care about what it did to the other girls in the class, including Sakura who was trying to win a losing argument with inner Sakura and failing miserably, but it was a price worth paying.

Two and a half years of conditioning with Tatsua and working the Higurashi forge had turned him into a thick block of lean muscle with arms and legs. He had to work hard, very hard to keep his agility but the results were clearly there. His skin had been bronzed by the forge's fire and Tatsua's efforts to mold him under the afternoon sun, making him an Adonis among his classmates. Now shirtless, the other girls (read Sasuke's fangirls) cooed at the sight, faces flush with blood and fresh hankies. When the bows were complete, and he had smoothly transitioned into the basic fighting stance, triceps and back muscles coiling and tensing, a few of them dropped to the ground unconscious.

A nervous tick appeared over Sasuke's right eye.

"Sasuke, are you ready?" Brisk nod in response.

"Naruto, are you ready?" Naruto mumbled a terse, "Hai!"

"Kumite!" The ANBU proctor hopped back as the boys charged each other.

Naruto planted himself in the middle of the ring and refused to be moved. Sasuke's movements were polished, which indicated that he practiced regularly but they lacked any sort of power. Given that Naruto was faster even with his weights on (Tatsua had left them static at forty-five kilos), his punches and kicks weren't difficult to dodge or block. By slapping a flat palm on Sasuke's chest and lazily pushing him away, Naruto was saying plainly that the younger boy (Sasuke was technically a year younger) was not a challenge.

That realization by the Uchiha, who was actually fairly sharp in the brainpan, translated immediately into a _Katon_-laced rage.

Sasuke bellowed, _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_

Iruka tried to interrupt the bout when the seals started flying but it was too late. The fireball roared across the dirt-packed yard for some roasted bijuu container.

Naruto responded by orienting a Suiton jutsu (specifically a camping jutsu for condensing water from the atmosphere to refill canteens and such minor things) at the fireball and pumping four times his normal chakra into it, which was already considerable. The air moisture immediately evaporated drying out the hair on every female within twenty meters, and a mini-geyser of water shot across the yard, snuffed out the fireball, and rolled a very surprised Uchiha Sasuke out of the ring and into a growing puddle of mud.

The ANBU proctor and Iruka Sensei were trying very hard to stifle their guffaws as they recognized Naruto's chosen technique – he'd beaten the Last Uchiha with an overpowered, E-ranked camping jutsu (the ANBU proctor, Jackal, sighed and palmed a fifty-Ryu note over to Iruka).

Choji, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Tatsua had no such qualms, high-fiving and cackling on the sidelines. Even Ino snickered at the sight of the Uchiha up to his ankles and elbows in mud, which earned her a nasty sneer from Sakura.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto by ring out!" (ANBU)

Naruto merely turned to Sasuke's fanbase and smirked, then flexed for good measure alternating his pectoral muscles making them jump and compress, earning jealous sneers by the males and more flushed faces from the females, much to Sakura's ire as inner Sakura was drooling, beating her flat chest, and yelling for Sakura to claim him. With two major rivals (Kiba had long accepted his status loss as the alpha among these two powerhouses) in the same class, things could only escalate from there.

It did have the unintended side effect of adding two more people to the small pool of Naruto friends.

Aburame Shino approached the reigning _King of the Ring_ and bowed from the waist. Naruto nodded in return as he shrugged back into his shirt after having gently prying it from Hinata's surprisingly strong fingers.

"Congratulations on yet another victory, Uzumaki-san." Naruto grimaced at the formality, but his voice held no heat.

"No need for all that Shino, we're classmates." He held out his hand for the bug user to take. "Naruto has always been good enough for me."

Shino took the proffered hand, despite his hive's excited protests, and completed the informal acceptance ceremony. Just like that, he was part of the misfit group of friends, even if only in the outer ring of trust.

Promotion here came through merit.

Naruto noticed the other class blonde inching closer over Shino's shoulder just as he started round two of "Tug-of-War-for Naruto's-clothes." He decided to end it with bribery, once it was clear she intended to hang on, by leaning into her personal space, placing his lips by her ear, and whispering, "I will cook dinner for you if you give me back my clothes. Either that or I would like to take yours off so we're equally undressed."

The shock on her face was enough to get her to let go but, as Naruto pulled back, he noticed she was halfway through unzipping her jacket before he could stop her from undressing in the middle of class. He curiously wondered what would have happened if he'd said that when they were alone and tried to control his growing blush.

He was hoping she'd just pass out so he could reclaim his jacket without tearing it.

Turning back to the last visitor (and giving Hinata a chance to lose her raging blush), Naruto raised an eyebrow to the Yamanaka heir.

She knew that he wasn't fond of her. She just didn't know why. Previous attempts to infiltrate his mind had hit brick walls, literal walls made of mental bricks. When she asked her father about her discovery, he merely scolded her for invading the privacy of others and told her if she ever repeated that act without a direct order from the Hokage or the head of T&I, he'd seal her chakra for good. Rebuffed and intimidated, she decided to go straight to the source. You only live once, right?

Taking a deep breath, she spoke up to the blond hunk, the sole boy apparently immune to her charms.

"Hey…Naruto. Nice win!" Ino tried to be casual but he was watching her like someone would watch a snake or other dangerous animal. With no response, she pressed on.

"Do you mind if I hang out with you guys today?"

"I thought you were an honorary member of the Uchiha fan club?" (Shikamaru)

Ino chuffed at the pineapple-haired boy. "It's a one-sided affair. That boy only loves himself and you guys always seem to have a good time. At least Naruto talks to you instead of scowling all day long."

Hinata was watching the self-proclaimed party girl and frowned openly every time her eyes locked on to the target of her affection.

"Besides, I think I lost my best friend to that obsession a while ago."

The girl looked sad, lonely, and in the back of Naruto's mind, Tatsua was quietly urging him to accept her – she was a possible link to the missing Yamanaka. This was his chance to get close to someone on the inside and solve the riddle.

His eyes narrowed dangerously at that memory and it shocked the blonde socialite. Fearing that she'd be pushed away, Yamanaka Ino got desperate and lunged forward to grab his hands, which were still holding on to his newly-donned jacket.

Hinata nearly Jyuukened her into next week. She would have if not for Shika and Choji grabbing her arms and pulling. Hard. She was surprisingly strong.

"I don't know what I've done to make you hate me but… I-I'm sorry!"

There were tears forming in the corners of her ice-blue eyes. Thoughts of a saltwater jutsu floated across his mind before he swatted the idea away. Her grip was surprisingly strong like Hinata's. Maybe girls were taught these things at a young age? Was it genetic? Either way, it was pulling at his heart.

"Please! Give me a chance to make amends! If-if you still can't accept me then at least I know that I've tried and will never bother you again! P-P-Please! Don't cast me out until I've at least had a c-c-chance."

Head bowed, tears streaming down her face, Ino's legs gave out with her emotional outburst but her knees never hit the rocky ground. She blinked, her head was pressed against something hard wrapped in sturdy material and very strong arms were wrapped around her body, pinning her elbows between herself and the furnace of flesh that held her up. She blinked the tears from her eyes and looked up into the softening face of Uzumaki Naruto, who held her pressed against his body until she found her feet again.

_'I'm soo going to regret this,'_ the blushing jinchuuriki groaned to himself.

When he kissed her forehead and released her, all without a word, her face flushed, and the world spun out of control as she passed out. Luckily for Ino, Choji caught her the second time since Hinata was too stunned to smack her around.

_'That was very smooth, Taichou.'_

Naruto tried to blow off the Kitsune's teasing._ 'Keeping her interested is the easy part.'_ He glanced over his shoulder at the passed out girl while Chouji set her down off to the side of the sparring ring. _'Keeping her and Hinata from tearing each other apart will be the hard part.'_

Eventually, he'd have to figure something out but, for now, he turned back to the matchups.

Her eyes opened later and she still had a smile on her face, plus a slightly bleeding nose. Choji had laid her against a tree right behind the group and they were all watching the rest of the matches. Hinata had staked a position right next to Naruto, her arms wrapped protectively around his left bicep, the occasional angry and possessive glance directed back over her shoulder to Ino, but that was okay. She was used to fighting for the attention of a desirable male. She doubted the Hyuuga princess could deliver properly on physical affection as a closeted heiress and that just strengthened Ino's resolve.

She had a shot this time.

Her dad stated over and over again how the Hyuuga clan head absolutely despised the blond orphan so that meant Hinata was headed nowhere quickly. With this challenge there was hope and those arms were very strong and very warm. She shivered from the memory.

Wiping the blood from her nose (being held in his arms produced all sorts of pleasant images) she trotted over to Naruto's right arm and gently leaned into him, her budding figure pressing against his triceps. With a gentle smile up to the beautiful boy, she turned her eyes over to the Sasuke club and realized her membership had been completely revoked judging by the shocked stares of betrayal.

The interesting thing was she didn't really care. She had much less competition here and, from what she could see, more interaction in three minutes than Sasuke had given her in almost three years. Besides, she'd hugged the Uchiha (to his prompt protest and non-interest) and felt none of the hard muscle bunched up under Naruto's jacket; the boy was _solid_.

Her mind made up, she turned her eyes back out to the remaining spars and tried to plan out how she could win the heart of the strongest ninja in her class. She had discovered the true top rookie.

~ I I I ~

It didn't take her long in their impromptu study group to find out how smart he really was and that was only the beginning of her eye-opening experiences with the village pariah.

Naruto, on the other hand, continued to learn and grow.

In addition to his physical development, Naruto's _Fūinjutsu_ practice grew and now included explosive tags plus that Kitsune communication array that apparently didn't work on normal humans but did include a useful ability to speak with his clones.

He had a couple of selective storage seals on each of his forearms he used to keep ready mission gear and his now completed punch knives. Through introductory books he'd found at the library (under a henge), he also learned rudimentary alarm seals and discovered that their basic sealing elements could be combined into complex arrays. Take for example an alarm that triggered a remote seal on your body while locking the door or window it was written on and paralyzing the intruder breaching the array for later interrogation – if you knew that particular seal combination.

And Naruto's comprehension of seals, and _Fūinjutsu_ in general, bordered on the freakishly savant-like realm of unnatural. It was almost as if seals could whisper their secrets to him.

Secretly Kyuubi (you all forgot about her, didn't you?) sat back and reveled in his growth. Her container was growing powerful indeed without a heavy reliance on her chakra, as it should be for the _Golden Taichou_. Soon they would need to make preparations for a journey home, to his true home and the inheritance therein.

Naruto made sure to learn as many basic seals to make those arrays as he could then began practicing on the seals Tama-chan had set up in his apartment. It was so very rewarding to find a frozen pair of burglars stiff from trying to break into his bedroom the night of his birthday (the village had long since found out that he'd moved). He took great joy in stripping them down, tying them up and leaving them on the building's roof for ANBU to find after being helpful and pulsing his chakra twice as a beacon.

In one of the three basic books he could find not checked out titled, _"Fūinjutsu For Fun: An Intermediate Analysis of Creative Arrays,"_ Naruto discovered his love of limiting seals. While none were nearly as powerful as the limiters linked to his overly complex tetragram sealing matrix, they did provide seals used for three very specific purposes employed by Konoha jailers and ANBU squads transporting prisoners to confinement.

First off, they were used to completely block access to chakra and could be used to isolate low to mid-level chakra users making them docile for confinement or transfer. Their one downside being that shinobi with strong enough chakra reserves and knowledge could overwhelm them and burst the seals just like Kyuubi did on his internal limiters. Complicated enough limiter arrays, a combination of seals linked together, could be built for stronger prisoners or to completely seal off an area, like a prison cell, but that was beyond this book's scope.

Second, there were pass through filters which allowed access lower level jutsu but sealed off C-rank equivalent and higher-level bursts of chakra. They were more useful for stronger prisoners but provided some chakra access running a higher risk of escape. Using the first two types of seals together could effectively isolate a prisoner from any use of chakra and typically made up most prison-related seal arrays.

Naruto mused that the first two were part of more complicated seal arrays and that, given enough time, he could deduce their structure on his own. He persisted, sacrificing countless clones when a seal went wrong and detonated the user into powder, and learned to use the limiters even going so far as to have Tamami permanently inscribe a set of _constrictor seals_ as part of a tribal tattoo across his shoulders that could be activated and deactivated through controlled pulses of chakra through connected tenketsu. When activated, these modified pass-through seals reduced his chakra flow by sixty percent, which had the added benefit of boosting his control to near-perfect levels. By pulsing those tenketsu again in rapid-fire sequence, he could deactivate them and restore full access to his reserves.

He practiced the transition until it was natural, almost reflexive. More importantly, it made it easier to reduce his chakra signature and gave him the ability to produce perfect bunshins. He could graduate with certainty so long as he had those seals. Not originally a fan of limiter seals, these definitely had their uses.

Third, there were also feedback seals that converted chakra used into either _Katon_ or _Raiton_ chakra before redirecting it back to the caster in a constant feedback loop. _Raiton_ tended to be very useful often shocking prisoners into unconsciousness if they were too persistent.

It was not enough. He knew there was much more to be done with seals, but he had eclipsed Tama-chan's knowledge on the subject. Until he could find another mentor in _Fūinjutsu_ or more source material, he was effectively stuck at finding ways to modify or adapt new versions of what he already knew.

He was also effectively capped on ninjutsu. The basic academy techniques (with the help of his limiter seals) were now mastered, both seal-less and almost undetectable. With the help of his new limiters, he'd even mastered normal bunshin and Kage bunshin without seals, able to cast both near-simultaneously so that he could mix the two variants and (hopefully) prolonging the life of his already tough Kage clones. If they didn't have to burn through chakra using reinforcement, their combat effectiveness could only increase. It also helps when you can detonate them remotely without seals, which he could.

His elemental jutsus categorized an impressive collection up to and including a few C-rank variants. He'd need higher-ranked scrolls to move on but a vast majority of what he knew could be done without hand seals, helpful when fighting the emo wonder if he ever got his Sharingan switched on.

If he couldn't see it, he couldn't copy it. That meant that distance and obfuscation were his greatest allies against the _Sharingan_. Those history books on the clans were quite helpful.

About halfway through his third academy year, Tatsua had begun training him further on physical reinforcement techniques, which is using chakra to toughen his physical density or increase certain characteristics like strength and speed even further. It was the next logical step beyond using chakra to enhance his already super hearing, sight, and smell. As his control improved, Tatsua kept driving him to improve it further by using it during physical conditioning. She would keep adding weight until his chakra gave out and he'd have to drop the weight from physical exhaustion. Once recovered to about half his max capacity, she would have him go back to pushups and sit-ups, so she could strike him with bundled bamboo reeds. If he lost count or lost focus, she would force him to start again. By the time summer arrived, he could stream enough chakra to keep his armor up for half the day or triple his strength and speed levels for about two hours. He could do more in shorter bursts but her primary focus was endurance.

_**Just Downwind from the Inuzuka Compound…**_

By the time the Shadow Twins located Inuzuka Pagu, Naruto was looking forward to a distraction from the constant training. The fiend's location didn't surprise Naruto, as the dog-nin was living on the Inuzuka compound. What did surprise him was the nin didn't live the life that Naruto thought he would. Certainly, it was nothing like Watanabe and just barely a step above the incarcerated life of the average prison inmate.

His respect for the Inuzuka Clan, minus Kiba, rose a notch.

As Naruto stood high in the branches downwind from the Inuzuka compound, he again thanked Kyuubi for the gift of his binocular eyesight. As she preened in the mindscape, the boy focused on the sole Inuzuka shinobi staggering around the lower acreage of dog central, a half-empty bottle of sake grasped feebly in one hand. He didn't even need to trickle chakra to his nose as the man smelled like he hadn't bathed in weeks, perhaps months.

Naruto wondered if he even needed his Kitsune sense of smell. A small child could find the drunk with their eyes closed.

"We didn't even have to work hard to find him," Kokuten said. "His entire clan is disgusted with his actions from the attack on you, Taichou. Inuzuka loyalty is legendary so they can't turn on him. Instead, they isolate and ignore him. His own nin-ken, a female that sired two batches of pups, abandoned him when he joined an angry mob to kill a small boy child and that meant all of the dogs turned on him as well. The dogs saw you no different than any other defenseless pup. He has fallen as low in the clan ranking as he can go, just one step above homeless vagabond."

Naruto didn't know if being Taichou gave him the ability to tell these two apart, but it came in handy.

"They randomly send one unlucky clan member to check on him once a week to make sure he still breathes. Sometimes they toss him a bundle of food and soap, hoping the idea of bathing will take."

Kokutan pointed with her muzzle to the discarded soap multiplying outside the rickety shed Pagu called his home.

"Judging from the size of that pile, it has been many weeks since they started that habit."

Almost as if summoned by the female twin, a very unhappy Inuzuka Hana tromped down to the hut yelling for Pagu to come out. Naruto noted, aside from her very athletic figure, she was sure to stay upwind from the unhygienic exile. After a few minutes of struggling to his feet and stumbling to the door, the Inuzuka heiress tossed him a scroll and turned to leave without waiting for a reply.

Pagu merely grunted, picked up the scroll, then returned to his hut. A minute later the unwanted toiletries sailed out of the door and into the pile of discarded supplies.

"He almost takes the challenge out of it," Naruto sighed. "Meet me back at the apartment later tonight. I will summon what is needed to address this failure of a human." The foxes seemed perplexed.

"Will you not deal with him personally, Taichou?" Naruto paused.

"I would love nothing more, but the Council is becoming… aware of my actions. They are spending more time focusing on the survivors."

The Kitsune lord nodded to the two Special Assassination and Tactical Squad agents trying to stay concealed a hundred yards just off to the right from where he stood. He was also grateful for the Kitsune illusions that kept him hidden from view and his sounds suppressed from the sharpest ears.

"If I am to complete my plans of revenge, then I need to stay out of prison. That means I need alibis, unbreakable alibis." Naruto looked down to the Twins with an evil sneer.

"Besides, the Kitsune have been idle for too long and I, as a good General, need to become familiar with every aspect of my army. Tonight, we flex another muscle of the Legion."

The foxes happily swayed their tails from side to side. They liked the way this Taichou thought.

_**At the Uzumaki Apartment…**_

Hedgehog stifled a yawn and earned another smack on the arm from Dove.

"Sorry but this isn't the most exciting duty." He motioned to the Uzumaki heir lounging on the couch of his apartment surrounded by two beautiful women. It made the bored ANBU dream lustily of the beaches that would be packed soon with scantily clad bodies. If he was still stuck here in the summer, he hoped some of those pretty young girls in the Namikaze apartment would shed more of their clothes, especially the bustier honey-blonde currently feeding him sliced fruit.

"Be serious, Hedge. We are to report if he does anything suspicious or disappears for any significant length of time." As if on cue, the taller ANBU stiffened and Dove whipped her head back around.

It was pointless. The boy had gotten up and excused himself to the bathroom. He was back less than four minutes later.

Hedgehog settled in for another boring round of "_Watch the Women Jiggle as they Walk,"_ and tried not to yawn again. Idly he wondered what Dove looked like under her cloak.

_Flashback from Four Minutes Before_

Naruto stealthed under Kitsune illusion through the bedroom window - left open because of the summer heat - and into the bathroom, summoned a clone, whispered, "I'm back," then stabbed the clone with a kunai. Not more than a minute later, the clone impersonating him in the living room walked in and closed the door.

"Any changes?" the original asked.

The clone shook his head, "None Boss. Those two are still watching from the rooftop across the street." Naruto nodded, and the doppelganger dispelled itself transferring its remaining memories.

Naruto washed his hands then returned to the couch to finish lunch and resume his spot seated in front of Tamami. He enjoyed the feel of her body pressed against his back and he smiled darkly as she popped another grape into his mouth.

_Flashback from Four Minutes Before - KAI!_

Later that night, all of the ANBU teams turned over. The pair watching as the Inuzuka recounted the visit from the clan heiress earlier and that the subject was due for his nightly… yup, there he was now relieving himself just outside the door of his shed. At least this time he managed to piss outside and not on the door jamb.

Muskrat and Lizard grimaced behind their masks, one making a disgusted sigh as the obviously inebriated Inuzuka turned, with his member still out, and staggered back inside. They hoped this assignment would end soon.

Other than the daily admonition to stay perpendicular from the downwind trades, otherwise, all you could smell was piss and unwashed dog-nin, the relieved pair had no new developments and body flickered away.

None of them saw the shadow slip around the corner of the shed and in through the door.

None of them saw the visitor apply a containment seal array to the unconscious dog-nin's forehead freezing him in place and locking his vocal cords, preventing him from making any movements or sounds.

None of them heard the visitor peel off the now bloody seal paper an hour later and leave via dispersion, the rest of the night passing by without incident.

It would be hours after the sun came up before anyone, including Pagu's ANBU observers, wondered why the drunken outcast had varied his daily routine. Thinking he was drunk, it would be noon when the heat was at its worst before the two ANBU flickered to the few patches of earth not covered in piss to peek in the shed at its only inhabitant.

Lizard would turn away just in time to lift his mask and add the contents of his stomach bile to the other bodily wastes on the ground. In another thirty minutes, the area would be swarming with an ANBU forensics team trying to keep an enraged Inuzuka clan back while trying to find trace elements of the killer that had left Inuzuka Pagu crippled (all of his ligaments and tendons had been cut with several removed and used to 'string him up' in the shed) and skinned alive to help him bleed to death while in his "home." Judging from the rather large pool of blood coagulating on the earthen floor of the shed, he bled for quite a while.

ANBU squads were dispatched before the forensic team's arrival to confirm the last twelve hours of their prime suspect's life. They were surprised to hear nothing about his routine had changed. The boy spent a lot of time with the various women in his life after his daily obligations had ended. He'd had arduous training early in the morning, an average day working for Higurashi, and spent the rest of the night sorting through battered kunai he'd found through various training fields. The Hyuuga and Yamanaka girls left after sharing a very appealing meal prepared by the suspect and he finished his night with a shower.

Some thought it odd that the two blondes didn't mix with the two heiresses often disappearing altogether.

The whole group had retired at their usual time and, as part of the normal duty rotation, a Hyuuga made up the night shift and alternately activated his Byakugan to confirm that the Uzumaki clan heir was asleep in his bedchamber with a mostly naked woman and a tiny fox. While that last fact was unnecessary, it pretty much solidified his alibi.

The ANBU watching him did wonder where the older woman spent her time when the two girls spent time in the apartment. More importantly, they wondered who she was.

The investigating team looked into the standard package, his finances for large outbound payments or withdrawals without commensurate purchases – every expense was accounted for in the clan ledgers and matched to their bank records (the amounts staggered a couple of the investigating ANBU when they realized how much cash the Uzumaki clan actually had). There were no unaccounted-for absences. Where would he have time to hire an assassin and pay for it without using cash? Worse still was the complete lack of evidence from the killer. Even the odd chakra residue left behind didn't match Naruto's. It was a mystery.

_**At the Hyuuga Compound…**_

The Hyuuga Elders were nervous and agitated. Heated words were being exchanged in a group of normally very stoic (and stuffy) old men who deemed themselves masters of all they surveyed. They were the Hyuuga, an unrivaled power in Konoha. All non-Hyuugas were beneath them. They feared nothing…except for the Kyuubi.

Hyuuga Hiashi, flanked by his daughters, listened to the chaotic chatter surrounding their clan meeting table and frowned. This noise solved nothing. His eyes flickered to Neji in the outer fringes of the room and the corners of his nephew's mouth were pressed in annoyance, just as Hiashi's were. The entire clan was flailing helplessly and that would serve no purpose. It did nothing to protect the elite clan. So, he would need to reign them in.

Hiashi funneled a minute amount of chakra into his palm and smacked the metal plate embedded into the tabletop. The echoing chime silenced the room almost instantly. Hinata and Hanabi both flinched being so close to the ringing boom.

"Now that we are centered once again, we must focus our efforts at the crisis before us." His eyes raked the chamber, and, for a moment, he was the decisive clan head that had steered the Hyuugas to the prominent position they held today. "What do we know?"

Hyuuga Suzu stood, his face flushed with anger and (nearly) shouted, "The demon brat will come for Hoheto next!"

Hiashi sighed at the circular logic that led to the last session of noise despite the agreeing head nods and confirming murmurs.

"I asked for what we know, Suzu-san, not what we feel to be true. What can be proven with reasonable assurance?" Suzu's eyes dejectedly returned to the table in front of him.

Hyuuga Shunsuke spoke clearly into the room. "We know that the…boy… was observed at his _home_ during the time that Inuzuka Pagu was murdered. The ANBU report," he held up copies of the original although Hinata had no idea where he obtained them from, "…shows that he was physically observed through the night in his acts of demonic debauchery with his blonde _whore_." His face left little doubt what he thought of the Uzumaki's behavior and whether it was fit enough for him to be engaged to a Hyuuga, even one as disappointing as Hinata.

Hinata, for her part, tried to keep a straight face and wondered if Ino snuck over after she left to spend time with Naruto late last night.

Hiashi nodded and Shunsuke continued. "This tells us that he is extremely clever, something we've already come to expect from the juvenile who has desecrated our Hokage monument on multiple occasions and managed to escape punishment for such sacrilege."

"Does the boy even have the skill to take on a more seasoned shinobi, even one as poor as Pagu?" Hiashi's disdain for the dog ninja was evident in the corner of his eyes.

"As inebriated as Pagu was when he was murdered, a fresh academy student could have taken him with little difficulty." Several elders snickered. "Oddly enough, school records indicate that the Uzumaki orphan is the top taijutsu practitioner in his class and has held that distinction for the last three years." This brought different sounds from the Hyuuga gathering, none of them favorable.

"He has routinely dominated in all but one match where the instructors called it due to the fairly disgusting technique employed by the Inuzuka boy in the class." Shinsuke let fly with complete disgust as he rifled through a file folder Hinata could see labeled "Uzumaki Naruto, Class 3-B."

Hinata wondered silently how the elder had come by that file on an active student.

"He routinely defeats both the Inuzuka and Uchiha heirs with little apparent difficulty. Our informant routinely listens to the head instructor complain that the boy applies just enough effort to stay two points behind the class top rookie so as to not draw unwanted attention to himself."

Hiashi's left eyebrow rose a hair at the revelation and reached for the file in question. Not looking up from the sheaf of paper, he fired off his next question to the clan information head.

"The boy's alibi is iron clad?" Shunsuke nodded in response to Hiashi's question.

"Even his finances passed ANBU forensics meaning that they found no ties to contracted services, internal or external to Konoha. No unexplained withdrawals and no recent wire transactions at alternate institutions. He has covered his tracks well."

"If his tracks are so well covered, why should we believe the boy is responsible? I understand that Pagu was an undesirable that made many enemies, even within his own clan."

Many now looked to Shunsuke as these facts were well-known, however, the main branch member turned to Hyuuga Ryota, an active duty ANBU from the Branch House, who stood from the outer ring of mats to speak. Hiashi nodded to acknowledge his contribution.

"All evidence points to a crime of extreme passion. Trace chakra elements indicate an advanced suppression seal along the frontal cranial lobes. This indicates full paralysis was used to prevent the victim from crying out yet allowed him to feel every violent act committed upon his person while the killer took their time in the act. The victim's own ligaments were stripped from his body and used to string the corpse up inside the shack. This allowed the killer to slowly and methodically partially dissect Pagu just enough to ruin his physical skills, should he be discovered and rescued, before he could bleed out. To the killer, this was very personal, and they made Pagu suffer to the utmost before he expired."

Hanabi was trying very hard not to turn green and vomit. Hiashi was proud of her strength and his heart swelled. When he switched his eyes to Hinata expecting her to on the verge of catatonia, he was silently shocked to see her eyes focused on the speakers and showing no sign of discomfort in the subject matter. Given her kind nature, Hiashi found this very disturbing but he had to press on. He turned back to the assembly.

"In and of itself, I would not normally concern the clan with the gruesome death of a rabid degenerate from the Inuzukas. Taken in light of his recent…affiliations, and the gruesome mauling of Watanabe-san within a few years, I am forced to believe that this is more than coincidence. I believe if the Yamanakas had not sacrificed their clan member to the Hokage's justice and if the Uchihas had not fallen prey to one of their own homicidal members, we would be hearing of two more corpses linked to the attempted purging during the Kyuubi Remembrance Festival five years ago. The Branch Family will keep an eye on Hoheto until we can prove without question he has nothing to fear from the… Uzumaki." While he couldn't openly vilify the boy for the murder, the seal used to silently kill the Inuzuka concerned Hiashi. How many of his own clan could fall to that same threat?

There were many sage nods at this. The Hyuugas could not let that savage dishonor the clan by taking Hoheto before his time.

_**At the Uzumaki Apartment… **_

After the investigators left for the fifth time, Naruto smiled and thought, for the fifth time, that they were grasping at straws. For the fifth time, he thought Shinkai really knew his work. He'd have to use that Kitsune again someday, someday very soon.

By the time summer rolled to a close, Naruto was happily awaiting his fourth and final year. He even devoted what time he could during the summer to finishing his _shobe tanto_ early so that Tatsua could begin to teach him kenjutsu. He was looking forward to channeling _Fuuton_ and _Raiton_ chakra through the blade as he cut the last one, the Hyuuga, in half through his dreams.

From within the mindscape, Kyuubi smiled.

~I I I~


	14. Chapter 14

**Brief A/N: **I've changed the spelling I use for Chōji Akimichi. Texts I've read have it as shown to the left here but I've altered it to now read Chouji for both this fanfic and "No More." Eventually, I'll get around to making all of the previous corrections, but, for now, I'm pressing forward as is.

~Siva'a

* * *

**Chapter 14: A Place to Call My Own**

~I I I~

* * *

Tamami felt the world fall out from underneath her with a stomach-dropping lurch, her body landing with a very non-graceful thud on a red velvet surface far larger and softer than anything she'd ever rested upon. Golden eyes blinking without focus, she flinched reflexively as a soft hand brushed against her cheek, her body seeking to open space. She was groggy, disoriented, and the only thing working appeared to be her excellent sense of smell; even before her eyes could begin to focus her brain recognized the scent and aura of the nine-tailed Kitsune Queen, her Lady of the Youkai.

She was in the seal despite having drifted off hours ago with Taichou wrapped in her arms.

Nearly a century of training turned into autonomous response took over and the still sleepy vixen shifted until she was on her knees with her torso bent far enough forward to place her forehead atop the backs of her hands. Her graceful ears automatically flipped backwards along the sides of her head and both tails straightened out and unfurled behind her at opposing forty-five-degree angles, the perfect position of submission.

It would have been enticing to the redhead watching her prostrate herself if she were male. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards and Kyuubi clearly had other things on her mind.

As Tamami's sluggish metabolism began to catch up with her surroundings, the soft surface she was on shifted with her mistress's movements clueing her into her exact location. The Two-tails had jealously eyed the soft bed tucked away in a corner of the seal and two plus two finally added up to four as she fought the urge to stretch out and succumb to her mind's desire to surrender consciousness. That would have been the height of rudeness to her mistress who clearly wanted to speak with her at a time when they would not be interrupted.

"You summoned me, Kōgō-sama?" Kyūbi's tinkling laughter sent a pleasant shiver up her spine.

Tamami, much to her surprise, had to stifle a yelp when the bed shifted once more and she could feel the warmth of the Nine-tail's presence to her immediate left, a pair of soft hands grabbing her shoulders to gently, yet forcefully, pull her tangled mess of hair into the more powerful entity's lap. For a moment, the younger Kitsune was shocked by the firm softness of her mistress's lap as Kyūbi spent an inordinate amount of time situating her servant so that Tamami was comfortably resting on her side with the back of her head tucked up next to Kyūbi's stomach.

The combination of warmth and comfort the gesture provided sent another shiver along her spine even as she listened to the slightly distorted sound of her Queen's voice as heard through the representation of her leg and abdomen. It almost sounded like hearing sound when underwater yet it was oddly...soothing.

**"Tell me, Tama-chan, what are your thoughts on our new Taichou."**

Though almost conversational in tone, Tamami did not regard it as a request. "I think the humans of this village are too small-minded to appreciate the generous soul that he is, Kōgō-sama."

**"Hmmm."** Her Queen seemed to chew on that thought for a moment as if to savor it. **"You do not see him in the same light as the Tenth?"**

Despite her snug position with the warm hand of her Mistress stroking the soft waves of her golden mane, Tamami's head shook in what could only be regarded as a firm "NO!" the hand pausing above her temple until her movements calmed once again.

"No, Kōgō-sama. Even with this nasty business with the men that attacked him, his heart is still large and open to those he loves and wants to protect."

**"Hmmm."**

Same consideration but a bit longer pause before another comment. It mattered not to Tamami as she'd wait as long as it takes for her Queen. Besides, the gentle stroking of her hair was lulling her back in the deep arms... of...

**"That brings me to one of the points I brought you here to discuss, my little Aga-chan."**

The gentle tone of Kyūbi's voice was enough to jerk the exhausted Kitsune back to the Land of the Mostly Awake producing another tinkling of laughter. Her brain was delving back into the land of sluggish-comprehension but her sleep-drugged smile let the Nine-tails know that her handmaiden caught her reference to the nickname bestowed upon the rare vixen upon the event of their very first meeting[1].

**"Forgive me, Tama-chan. I will attempt to be brief so that you can return to your rest."**

"F-Forgive-."

Kyūbi's gentle shushing stopped her from a round of profuse apologizing. It was Kyūbi's fault after all that she'd been torn rudely from a deep, comfy sleep though she'd never verbalize that. The life of a servant was filled with inconvenience.

**"None of that now."** The warm palm resumed its pampering and Tamami wondered briefly if she could convince Taichou to do something similar. **"Two things, Aga-chan. I need you to pay extra attention during his schooling so that you can help him master his human training. We can't afford to let him become too reliant on Kitsune techniques or his human chakra network will atrophy." **

"Hnh, atrophy..."

Kyūbi chuckled knowing she would lose her completely before too long. **"Second and most important to me..." ** She paused to lean forward enough to see poor Tamami's nearly closed eyes. **"Can you hear me, Aga-chan?"**

"Hnh... Kōgō...sama..."

**"Close enough." ** She did lean closer to the gorgeous vixen to whisper directly into her ear. **"I need you to make sure your clan does not die out. I have seen Tatsua's gradual shift in feelings towards Taichou but you, my beautiful butterfly, must not fail me in this."**

"Hnh... never... fail...Kōgō-sama..." Tamami couldn't resist the powerful yawn punctuating her solemn vow.

**"I know, Tama-chan. I know."**

The last thing Tamami could remember from her uniquely bizarre dream was the mellowing sound of the Nine-tails humming lullabies until oblivion claimed her awareness.

~III~

* * *

Their last summer in the academy was moving by all too quickly. Naruto was working in the shop four days a week and on one day of the weekend, leaving two days to rest and recover, so he really enjoyed the six or so hours Tatsua gave him between training sessions to relax. This day was special, however, as she'd given him the whole day off once their morning session was done. He was so happy he could have kissed her, and, on impulse, he did just that.

He was very surprised when she initially tensed up in his embrace, so he very awkwardly released her and slowly backed away. Since he had no idea how to truly kiss a woman, it hadn't been more than him pressing his puckered lips against her own and, when he looked up into her very surprised face, the still very stunned Kitsune puckered up (after the fact) and blew a belated kiss into the air, her eyes very wide and unblinking as a tingling sensation tickled at the back of her mind. It was like a faint dream, a half-memory of something she was supposed to do...

Naruto merely sighed and quietly stalked off with his fingers snapping in between the nervous clapping of palms that didn't know what to do with themselves. _'It could have been worse, right? She could have attacked me. I know the girls in Sasuke's fan club have been hostile for far less.' _Deciding not to press his luck, the nervously-smiling Taichou decided to move on with the rest of his day.

~oOo~

It was awkward as is to be expected of his first real kiss, but she honestly didn't mind. In fact, she found herself strangely disappointed that there wasn't more to it all as the sudden bout of PDA took her completely by surprise. With one last empty kiss to the wind, the shorter Kitsune sauntered off to the kitchen to fix herself a calming cup of tea, the blush of her cheeks waging war against her sister's constant sniggering.

Tatsua would never be caught so flat-footed. Of course not, but she wasn't twitter-painted over "the Stump" to begin with. _Pftt!_ Not her.

The more athletic Kitsune quickly ducked back behind her scroll on basic taijutsu forms hoping no one noticed her jealous blush as their "fearless Stumpy" snatched up his backpack and rushed out the front door.

Tamami, however, puttered about the kitchen wondering if she needed to brush up on the differences between human and Kitsune development. A Kitsune male reached sexual maturity much sooner than a human one did (proportionally at least) despite the fact they lived considerably longer but that was the extent of her knowledge.

Any Kitsune entering its one-hundredth naming day (that's two hundred years of age for the normal human) had the equivalent physical age of a human pre-teen but that development of a second tail meant that they were considered mature enough to partake in Kitsune society. Young males that survived the clan life began to attend meetings, provide input in clan decisions (at least in the less restrictive clans) and began taking part in the _Bōka_, or "Leavening[2]." In Kitsune society, they were considered young adults with full rights and privileges.

_'How old was he anyway? He was attacked at the human age of six and we were summoned later that same year. Being what the humans call a _winter baby_, he had to wait an extra year and turned nine during his first semester of school meaning he had to be... going on thirteen this winter? Yes, that sounded about right?'_

Humans, despite their fractionally equivalent lifespans, developed at a slower pace and buffered their children from adult practices for as long as possible. She found it foolish to restrain them feeling that it delayed their maturity - at least until she began observing Taichou's classmates - but it was not her society to judge. Perhaps it better prepared them later on in life? For Inari's sake, they didn't introduce human anatomy until late in his third year of the curriculum and, if Iruka's parting comments right before the summer break held true, they'd only receive a week on seduction and sexual education training, the former focused primarily on the kunoichi.

Were the males not expected to perform that role? Tamami found that both sexist and abhorrent. Her Taichou would not be so handicapped, especially in the deceptive world of the Kitsune where he was expected to be able to either foil or execute seduction attempts with Vixen seeking to secure his seed as a political advantage to their clans. He would face threats from more than the _Thirteen_, perhaps more so from the lesser clans tottering on the edge of extinction.

He did, after all, have two - she immediately amended that thought while glancing over to her sister trying so very hard to hide her emotions behind a large scroll. Tatsua may be overly passionate in expressing herself but her heart was truly in the right place. As much as the woman loudly denied her growing affections for the "male stump" she claimed kept her trapped in a hell of human making, Tamami could see him worming his way into her heart. Perhaps he'd even be the one to help heal the wounds caused by that evil bastard someday.

Gently shaking her head to clear old feelings of loss, Tamami turned her mind back to the current issue. They'd need to keep up his academy training, even with as much as her sister disparaged it, and that included the heavily neglected sexual education portion of it. Taichou had at least one very willing participant living in his apartment at that very moment, both very surprised at the sudden display of physical affection and the implications thereof. Would, no, could Tatsua eventually come around to accept him as more than just a burden to bear until another Queen could emerge for the Kitsune nation?

Tamami desperately hoped from her perch at the kitchen table that his opinion of the fairer gender was changing for the positive. She was also very happy to discover a few days ago that the ANBU watch had disappeared as quietly as they arrived. With them no longer watching their every move, she hoped to lure him back into her lap pillow as a means of comfort after a frustrating day at the academy. She missed those bonding moments and felt they were losing that connection as he focused more and more on finding the last three men that attacked him years before.

Call her selfish but she liked that gentle side of her Taichou, an odd thing to have in a Kitsune Warlord but there you had it and she very much wanted to keep it.

There would be plenty of time for killing later.

~oOo~

With a nervous chuckle and very red cheeks spreading down into the v-cut of his tee-shirt, Naruto grabbed up his backpack stuffed with picnic items squirreled away in several storage seals (compliments of Tama-chan, hence the odd kiss earlier) and headed out the door. The twins were going to enjoy the day off as well – if he needed them, he could either call or summon them through a summoning jutsu, so they were never too far away in an emergency.

Naruto, thanks to the surprising shock of the kiss followed by his hasty exit, was an hour early leaving his apartment. Not wanting to be a nuisance picking up Hinata early, he decided to pay a visit to Hokage-jiji, something he'd neglected once he got busy with school and the forge.

Okay, admittedly he was a little pissed finding out about the chakra entity being stuffed in his gut while on his deathbed and hadn't spoken to the old man since he blew up at him two days before being released. It hurt badly finding out that he'd been lied to pretty much his entire short life by the one man he thought he could trust implicitly.

Call it village security if you like. Complain that you didn't think a six-year-old could be trusted to keep a secret that huge a secret and he'd probably nod his head and agree with you. Don't, however, claim that you kept him in the dark because his parents, parents that the old man still refused to reveal to him, had powerful enemies and your anonymity was necessary in order to keep you safe from external hostiles while an entire village tried its darndest to kill you every year of your life.

That pig just couldn't fly without a lot of ninja wire and Jutsu especially when the village made next to no effort to keep you safe from angry mobs and your trusted adult figure kept suggesting that you forgive them because they acted out of ignorance and fear.

_Excuse me?_

Naruto took a deep breath pausing on the sturdy roof of an administrative building catering to civilian licensing and permits. He was slipping again long after he felt confident that he'd moved past that initial hurt and that wouldn't do on such a nice day. It wasn't like he was training to become a police officer. He was going to become a shinobi, a jack of all trades in the deadly arts of death and deception.

If he was going to be so butt-hurt over potential hazards of his chosen profession being used against him, then perhaps it was time to settle down and open his own Ramen stand in the Red Light. Someone needed to enlighten the grungy masses to the goodness that was the Kami-given-gift to man.

Ahhh, ramen!

And just like that the building doom and gloom parted allowing a much lighter Naruto to resume his rooftop journey to the Hokage Complex housing the mansion, the administrative office, and the co-joined academy grounds.

Landing on the ground instead of the balcony, Naruto raced up the stairs to the receptionist's desk outside his office and, with his usual foxy grin, shot right past the frustrated woman and into the office of the most powerful shinobi in the village.

"Oi! Jiji!"

Hiruzen, busy rebelling against a fresh supply of paperwork, was contentedly puffing on his pipe. Happy to have any excuse to delay the ultimately unavoidable, he smiled at his unofficially adopted charge and waved him to a chair in front of his desk.

"This is a pleasant surprise, Naruto. It has been some time since we last visited and you've grown quite a bit." Aware of their recent estrangement, the old man didn't want to get his hopes up despite the familiar address.

Naruto's overinflated grin compressed to a more natural one, his hand sheepishly rubbing the back of his blonde mop of hair. The Hokage was the closest thing he had to family, barring his growing relationship with the Kitsune world, and allowed a great many lapses in decorum with their shared history. Naruto was well aware that these impromptu visits would have most nin carted out of the large office in ANBU chakra-restricted bindings, but Naruto had a standing invitation providing the Hokage was not officially detained or otherwise engaged, which is why the ANBU guarding the door rarely stopped him.

"What brings you my way today? Will I be following this meeting with an angry mob bearing pitchforks and screaming for your head?"

Naruto laughed it off. "Not today, Jiji. I'm off to a picnic with some friends from the academy." He dropped his pack onto the floor between his feet. "I just wanted to see how you were and ask if I could return the favor of all those meals you got for me when I was a hungry orphan. I have money now and good work with Higurashi-san, so you don't have to worry about me so much."

Naruto set a lacquered box on the Hokage's desk, one with the very popular crest of a certain tobacco importer rumored to be favorited by the village leader.

The old man's wrinkled face took on a look of sublime warmth. He recognized the significance of the gift, the engraved spiral indicating a rare and expensive gift of tobacco from Wave country. No one ever went as far as verifying the strain of leaf being native to old-world Uzushiogakure stock, but it was some of the best smoke as to be found anywhere. The fact that an orphan, who virtually grew up in poverty, could afford this was impressive. The fact that he would gift it to the Hokage spoke volumes of their bond. It touched him to his very core as no other gesture could. It implied that the giver knew him on a personal level and took measures above and beyond cordial means to bestow a present fit for close family… or nobility.

"Oh, Naruto," the Hokage whispered as his eyes took in every highly-polished line of the rather expensive gift. "This is... you should not have." Hiruzen took the box in both hands and, after several moments of gazing lovingly at the container, placed it safely inside his desk, using the excuse to blink away a tear before it could run the tracks of his weathered cheeks.

"I am at a loss for the gift Naruto and I thank you. Perhaps we can break bread tonight before your employment starts."

"That's great! Besides, I have a day off today, well… after the picnic anyway." Naruto waved off the gift. "Besides, you're the closest I have to family and I've never once given you a birthday present. I figured this would be a nice way to 'catch up' my dues."

"I am honored and thankful for such an insightful present."

Naruto's left hand shot up to the back of his head in a familiar gesture the Hokage was well familiar with. "Well, I kinda needed to apologize for being a total ass back in the hospital, Jiji." The boy's deep blue eyes were downcast. "I would have no one if it weren't for you. Family doesn't treat family that way, 'ttebayo."

A massive struggle ensued behind the eyes of the _Shinobi Professor_ and the academy student bore witness to it all. Doubt, regret, fear, and something else he couldn't recognize flickered across the old man's face while the youngest person in the office fidgeted under the intense scrutiny. As Naruto was about to ask if he was okay, the old man rose from his desk and swiftly covered the expanse of his office and pushed aside the portrait of the Fourth Hokage to expose a seal array. Turning to the boy he loved as much as his flesh and blood grandson, he called him over.

Naruto recognized it as a storage seal on the wall, but it had extra symbology in the array with symbols referring to family or strong heraldic ties. A confused look up to the Hokage produced a wince from the older man as his courage momentarily flagged. With a tightening of his aged lips, he pushed on.

"Naruto, before we attempt to open this I must ask your understanding and, in advance, your forgiveness. There is a great deal you do not know about your heritage and, as I stated before for your own safety, was intentional by the Fourth Hokage."

Naruto's eyebrows were slowly creeping their way up to his hairline. Why would the Fourth want something kept from Naruto?

"All of that information will be yours if you can successfully open this blood seal." Now Naruto was familiar with the context of a blood seal. His introductory texts on _Fūinjutsu_ purchased by a disguised Tamami explained their uses and basic functions, effectively locking a storage seal until someone of the correct bloodline appears and unlocks it, usually through direct application of their blood on the seal in question.

Usually, they are employed to protect something of great value to an individual, family or clan making theft of the item, or items in question, nigh impossible unless someone with the correct DNA markers in their blood gains access to the seal. Now the method isn't foolproof as anyone with access to sufficient amounts of the correct blood can also break the seal, but this means blood theft through commonly obtained medical containers (vials, beakers, and other absorbent materials) or other methods of transporting blood. Nothing is foolproof to ninja.

Whatever was in this seal was important. Furthermore, if he could open it this would tie him somehow to the Fourth Hokage's… something? He inhaled sharply, bit his thumb and rubbed it across the seal before the blood could dry. His blood hissed, filled out to fill in the black lines of the seal converting them to red then the whole seal pulsed once before twisting into a spiral shape. The spiral opened starting at the center becoming in seconds a circular hole over a meter in diameter. Inside the hole sat a long box of richly stained wood, a good-sized scroll and a small keyring with a weird key fob shaped like a three-pronged kunai.

His eyes immediately took in the detailed seal on the key fob shaped in the trademark kunai of the Yondaime Hokage.

The Sandaime Hokage exhaled a shuddering breath and turned from the storage pocket, very much feeling his age and numbly sliding into the chair at his desk. With a confused shrug, Naruto lifted out the items and swung the picture back in place, the opening in the wall reversing its spiral and closing up minus the seal returning. Taking his chair again, Naruto looked up to the one he called "Old Man" and waited for an explanation.

"I had hoped to delay this information until your sixteenth birthday, however, events are rapidly spiraling out of my control. Your progressing strength is making certain members of note anxious and I fear a return to the days of grief we shared in your youth." Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe.

His cryptic reference was not lost on Naruto. He was still "in his youth" but was also not surprised to hear that he had enemies within Konoha as this was very old news. He was surprised to hear that he had _powerful_ enemies. He didn't think his earlier pranking rated that kind of hatred, but you never knew these days.

"To that end, you and your Kitsune friends," the Hokage gave a look that said he clearly knew about Tamami and Tatsua, "…will need every advantage you can and that includes your clan heritage." The shocked face sitting across from the Hokage slowly melted into a quiet rage, a fit of anger he knew he rightfully deserved.

"My _clan?_"

"Per the wishes of the Fourth Hokage," Hiruzen pressed on trying to ignore the judgmental glare from his quasi-grandson, "you were not to be told of your family or that information to be made public as you would inherit your clan's equally powerful enemies, enemies within and without the village of Konoha, that you could not hope to fight as a lone orphan and that I could not adequately guard you against even as the Hokage. This became painfully evident to me upon the eve of your sixth birthday when I announced to the Council my decision to revoke the law prohibiting discussion of your heritage and the truth behind the attack of the Kyuubi no Youko on our village. That very night you were brutally attacked and nearly killed."

The Hokage hung his head in shame. "To my eternal suffering, I was forced to leave the law in place."

At this, Naruto's rage faltered. The old man was admitting that he had planned to tell him the truth before the Yondaime said he could. He was admitting that he planned to reveal the truth to the entire village and someone, more likely a group of "someones" had actively moved to oppose it at the expense of his personal well-being. A look up from the floor back to the eyes of the Third Hokage proved how much pain this caused him but, in the end, the damage to their relationship had been done.

The Hokage continued. "What you hold in your hands are the keys to your family legacy. The keys are to the clan home of Namikaze Minato, your father."

The fact that Naruto's face never changed shocked Hiruzen. Did the boy know and, if so, how long had he known?

"The box is from your mother's ancestral home, Uzushiogakure, in the Land of Whirpools."

Naruto lightly traced the incomplete seals on the lid of the box. "The scroll is a parting letter from your mother and father from the night you were born. It will explain the rest of what you need to know."

The two friends sat in silence while Naruto digested this information. Truth be told, Kyuubi had shared memories with the boy showing much, but not all, of what the Hokage had confessed. He had images of the box being given to his mother by a young shinobi with red triangles under his eye wearing a green vest and a horned forehead protector with the kanji for "oil" on it. He also had a few memories, most benign but some fairly racy, of his mother with a blonde-haired shinobi that could only be the Fourth Hokage. He knew exactly who his parents were, but he'd waited almost three years now for the Hokage to finally admit the truth about it. The victory was bittersweet and now that he'd heard the whole truth, as known by the Hokage, he was torn.

And the betrayal of all the times he'd asked, no… begged the man to tell him since the night of that attack came back to constrict his throat.

Wordlessly, Naruto stood while clutching his newest possessions, priceless gifts from his past, and bowed deeply at the waist until he was parallel to the floor. He held it for three seconds while fighting back bitter tears, then calmly rose and left the office of the most powerful man in the village without saying a word, a fresh shadow clone manifesting to carry his backpack once he was clear of the office.

Inside, Sarutobi Hiruzen reached into another drawer of his desk for his prized bottle of sake and wondered if he'd done the right thing, or if his relationship with Uzumaki Naruto would survive the betrayal of an entire village that began with the hypocrisy and deceit of his office.

Outside the office, Naruto took a deep breath to calm his nerves before stowing the scroll and keys in his backpack and the long box in the seal array on his right forearm. Without a glance at the glaring receptionist, he woodenly trudged downstairs and out of the tower before taking off to the roofs and across town to training area twenty-three.

~oOo~

Once he had vanished, the receptionist's face melted from her recurring distaste to pull out a thick leather-bound journal. Opening it to a marked page near the center, she began to write in a flowing script not native to Konoha.

"_Year 22 Day 157: The vessel entered to speak with the Hokage and departed shortly thereafter most somber of tone and clutching the lacquered box taken from Uzushiogakure on the day of its fall. It would appear that events are moving forward…_

~oOo~

_**At Training Area Twenty-Three…**_

It didn't take long to find the group at the lake. Chouji had set up a grill he'd borrowed from his dad and had provided the beef grilling delights while Shika brought hot dogs and venison from the Nara herd. Everyone else was pulling out favorite dishes to share. Naruto unsealed sweetened dango he'd made with the assistance of several Kage bunshins. Hinata had proven her talent in the culinary arts and brought fresh katsu and dragon rolls. Ino brought cutlery and drinks. Shino was the big surprise with a multi-layered chocolate swirl cake in rich dark chocolate frosting - apparently, his bugs had a serious sweet tooth.

Once Naruto had dropped off his additions, he turned from the table in time to get a chest full of bluenette affection and concern. Her big eyes broke through his inner turmoil and, like magic, the clouds lifted somewhat, and his shoulders relaxed immediately. As his arms wrapped around her shoulders, she squeezed his midsection, her arms reaching around just enough to link her hands and smiled up with care into his deep blue eyes.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Her voice was like soft silk when she wasn't being hamstrung by her stutter.

"It's not important right now and you make everything better."

Ino tried not to stare too much at their affection, her teeth worrying at her lower lip.

Hinata didn't look like she believed him, so he gave a concession. "If you promise to wait until after the picnic, I'll take you with me when I have to investigate something. I'll share everything with you."

She paused, her eyes glancing from his left to his right pupil hoping one or the other would give something away before nodding in agreement. "Hai."

Too bad he didn't remember much of the day as it went by in a haze. His mind stayed wrapped up in what he already knew to be true while it tried to work out the depth of betrayal at the hands of the village he'd loved his whole life, or at least he thought he loved… didn't he?

Come to think of it what did he love about it? It didn't take long to boil that down to the barest truth centering around the five people there with him at the lake, the two in his apartment (but they could always leave with him), the dozen or so hospital staff that had helped him over the years, old man Teuchi and Ayame nee-chan, old man Higurashi and Tenten, and finally the Hokage. At that last name, he paused and mulled it over a good while.

He still loved the old man, but did he trust him anymore? He understood why Jiji felt he needed to lie but what else had he lied about and were there other things he was still lying about?

Pfft! He was a shinobi leader so of course there were. Only time would tell though. One thing remained irrefutable in that among a village of thousands his reasons for staying or caring amounted to two dozen people.

With Hinata pulling him out of his periodic moping, he found himself all too soon walking down the road that led to her family estates. Confused that he might have forgotten something, she politely tried to jog his memory.

"Ano, Naruto-kun… are we not going to look into your problem from earlier today?" Naruto merely lifted his eyes from the ground and smiled at the lavender-eyed heiress.

"We are, Hinata-chan. It just so happens that this place we're going is very close to your home." Her eyes got very big at that and her heart skipped a beat.

They indeed marched right past the gates to her family estates at a leisurely pace, which moments later led to a very confused Hyuuga Hiashi, followed by an equally confused Hanabi and Neji wondering why the clan head suddenly stopped their afternoon training session to walk outside in a daze only to then follow the two pariahs up the less trodden path to the gates of a sealed estate less than a mile away.

As a collective, the group found themselves before the family estates bearing the well-known Namikaze crest, a confused Hinata glancing at the keys in Naruto's hands as an outraged Neji began to question the village outcast as to what he was doing unwanted in clan territory. Naruto merely responded with scorn as he bit his thumb and spread fresh blood over the seal at the gate plate joining to the two halves. Hinata took clear note of her still silent father and his look of supreme concentration as he watched Naruto's every move.

The seal's response was instantaneous as it was in the Hokage's office and, as the gates swung silently open, the Hokage stepped out of his flawless _Body Flicker_ and said in a clear voice that automatically silenced Neji's wheedling, "Welcome home Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. Welcome to your family home, the family estates of both the Namikaze, once established in Konohagakure as one of its founding clans, and the Uzumaki, formerly of Uzushiogakure no Sato and as another of Konoha's founding alliances."

You could have heard a pin drop if not for the cool breeze along the path. Instead, the trees rustled and seemed to urge him on to explore a place that he should have called home all those years ago. Neji, Hanabi, and Hinata were all gape-jawed.

None of them noticed the single tear running down the left side of Hiashi's face as he bowed somberly to the young boy and spun on his heels back to his own estates. He would spend the rest of the night in his office with several warm bottles of sake speaking to and seeing no one below the rank of Hokage for the rest of the day.

Naruto, without a word, closed the gate and resealed it with his blood and a pulse of his chakra to reset the clan seals. Hinata and Hiruzen both, being shocked by the action, looked on with a questioning gaze only to receive a negative shake from the boy in return as he slowly backed away from the ornate gates of his ancestral home.

It was too soon, too much to take in today.

He would come back when he was more prepared. He pocketed the keys, shouldered his backpack, and held a hand out to Hinata who took it without hesitation. After walking her back to her family estate, he turned, hugged her tightly, gave a kiss to her cheek to wipe away the tears on her face, before leaping away to find some peace and quiet.

Once he was gone, Hinata turned with venom in her voice and threatened that her two closest relatives would never see the poison that took their lives if they breathed a word of what they'd seen to another soul. She hadn't needed to as the Hokage took them all inside and reiterated to all four, Hiashi included, that what they had seen was still an SS-class secret and that spreading of the information would mean their death by beheading, but it remained a potent threat nonetheless. Hanabi and Neji had never seen Hinata so cold and determined, the image momentarily shocking them into silence.

~oOo~

Naruto ended up spending the majority of his off-days with Hinata as he found comfort in her arms. Eventually, she even coaxed him into exploring the home, opening up its secrets and discovering what was in the scroll and box he'd inherited. By the end of summer, he had moved into the estate as the security was much improved (it even included ANBU alarmed response) and plenty of privacy for training in isolation from the village. What's more, he now had access to his family library which, aside from higher-ranked elemental scrolls (Minato was partial to Fuuton and Raiton jutsu while his mother was partial to Doton and Suiton jutsu) he found a wealth of tomes and scrolls on _Fūinjutsu_. Both of his parents were experts in the field with his father being an acknowledged master in Konoha.

His studies were about to take a significant step forward.

The clan home had enough space for ten individual occupants apart from the master suite, each smaller room as large as his new apartment. On the fair-sized grounds were lodging for servants, a four-room guest home and separate clan houses for both Namikazes and Uzumakis wishing to dwell in the large village. It took up very little space considering the large acreage it occupied (though not nearly as big as either of the Uchiha or Hyuuga estates). It was still more than a single orphan could effectively use. The twins were ecstatic and, except when Naruto had company, enjoyed the newfound freedom to roam.

Hinata spent most of her spare time with Naruto helping him acclimate and, to her, it was only fair to include emotional support in the form of kissing and hugging, which they were doing a lot of lately. Naruto was also surprised by how much she hid under that bulky jacket when she was comfortable enough to remove it once inside – she was pleasantly curvy and well-cushioned as compared to other girls her age but he tried not to make of conscientious of the fact by staring (more than was reasonable anyway).

They weren't even officially a couple yet for Kami's sake!

It was because of the growing sense of physical affection brought on by raging pre-pubescent hormones and after a weekend of particularly spirited snogging that Naruto found himself standing at the gates to the Hyuuga estates in a new _haori_ of royal blue silk. With a _hakama_ of charcoal grey, an _obi_ of sparkling white underneath to match the _juban_, or kimono undergarment, and with his heart in his throat, the clan child was trying to screw up his courage to do the respectable thing before he and Hinata made a mess of things. His three-kamon crests, for today, were all of the Uzumaki clan, two on the chest and one in the center of his back.

He'd been slowly acquiring formal attire with the help of the Twins, as he was eventually to be established in the registry as a clan head at the age of sixteen, much to the shock of the council as they were threatened by the Hokage no less than a dozen times under violation of the Third's law from releasing his new pending status publicly. There would be more of varying complexity and quality incorporating both Namikaze and Uzumaki crests but, for today, he wanted there to be no doubt as to where the orphan originated from.

He also spent the entire day recalling what he could from the books he'd read on decorum, social graces, table manners, and politics. Realizing that it wasn't much given his earlier study foci, he resolved to correct that later. He was rather grateful that Kyuubi had forced him to read what little he did or this would have been an utter shit-show.

Of that much he was certain.

With one hand depressing the tile connected to the doorbell and the other holding lavender-colored tulips, the Namikaze clan head of one squared his shoulders and swallowed his fear one last time. _'Too late to run now.'_

The surprised, and pleasantly surprised for once, face of a branch member blinked back shock noting his polished appearance before remembering enough of her manners to politely ask his reason for being there.

"Please advise Hiashi-sama that Uzumaki Naruto, heir to the Uzumaki clan, seeks audience to discuss something of great import to both houses." His manner was clear, concise and delivered in the taciturn timbre of an heir that expected compliance.

Without the normal disdain he received when looking for the heiress, the servant bowed crisply and showed him into the foyer, something that had never happened before. Once sending off another servant for tea was complete, for which he received a strained look of confusion before they vanished into said kitchens, the middle-aged woman hustled off to inform the clan head. She returned as Naruto was enjoying the mild herbal brew to inform him that Hiashi-sama would indeed receive him in his office.

Naruto rose and inclined his head just the right amount to indicate he was ready to proceed. He emptied the cup and returned it to the second servant with both hands, also with another small bow, before reclaiming the tulips and following his guide to the office suites. The servant knocked and after waiting a prescribed amount of time, kneeled to the side and slid the door to the study open. Once Naruto stepped inside, she closed the door and padded off into another section of the house to deliver an urgent message to a young woman that very much meant the world to the aging woman with no children of her own.

Naruto inclined his head marginally more than he did to the servants that greeted him, as one clan head to another.

"Greetings, Hiashi-san. I thank you for your hospitality on short notice and hope you are well." He hoped he wasn't butchering this too badly but Kyuubi said he would have to get used to it. He was important now even if no one in the village knew about it yet or cared.

"I am well, Naruto-san." He returned the inclined head and neck just a hair short of the original offering. "I am honored by your concern regarding my health and your visit." His eyes lit on the flowers and a smirk caught the corners of his mouth. It didn't take a master of the Byakugan to see what the boy wanted.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You are clearly uncomfortable, and I have much to do as the clan head of a rather large clan."

The implication was clear. _You are clearly unimportant as a clan head in a clan of one._

Not moving to sit, Naruto dropped the façade and came clean. "I'd like to ask your permission to court Hinata."

"No."

Naruto was about to blurt out a rude query, all civility forgotten, when Hiashi raised a hand to forestall the outburst. "While she is no great loss as an heir and her 'hopeful' marriage to you clears the way peacefully for Hanabi to become my true heir," Naruto scowled here, "…her being seen with a penniless heir like you hurts our reputation. She better serves me, and her clan, being married off to one of the many wealthy suitors clamoring for her hand in a political marriage."

He motioned to a discarded stack of proposals on his desk.

Naruto reached into his sleeves and tossed a small scroll onto the pile, this one specially prepared for this very meeting and bearing the official crest of the Uzumaki. He figured he would need leverage to win the man's permission, worthless bastard that he was, but he wasn't going to give him access to original documents. Hell, he wasn't planning on letting the man keep this summary copy of his estate's net worth. And when Hiashi opened and read the scroll, twice because his shock the first time wouldn't let his pride acknowledge what he read, he literally had to close his mouth with a soft _click_.

As an Uzumaki and the son of Kushina, he was, in fact, the last heir of the ruling line from Uzushiogakure, which controlled all of Uzu no Kuni. As such, he held all rights and titles to the deserted island nation held in escrow by the Daimyo of Waves, an account that had been growing in the care of trustees since the fall of that once-great village. The account was worth half a billion to an heir that could prove proper lineage, which he had in the form of birth documents signed and notarized by the Third Hokage and bearing the royal sigil of the Honorable Flame of Hi no Kuni himself.

Additionally, as the heir to both Namikaze and Uzumaki estates, his inheritance included profits from the Namikaze seals patented by the Arashi Seal Consortium, which meant every seal in use in Konoha and most of the shinobi nations, through the office of trustees in the Fire Daimyo's palace. Included was a copy of notice, signed by the Daimyo of Flames himself, looking forward to the return of the Uzumaki seal masters that produced seals still in effect, a vast portion of which continued to feed their family accounts and were worth a considerable sum almost equal to double the fishing and tobacco rights of his clan.

The boy was connected at the highest levels of government to three nations (he knew full well the close ties between Wave and Water), had a royal pedigree to match as the sole survivor of the royal Uzumaki line, and was worth more than five Hyuuga clans once he claimed his birthright. His immediately accessible holdings, according to the bank tallies, was not insubstantial. He was definitely worth more without his birthright than that smelly Inuzuka brat Tsume was trying to peddle off on to him at last night's dinner function and the boy at least cleaned up markedly better.

His manners were also a sight better and he would be presentable before the crown with a bit more polish. Hiashi blinked in shock as one key thought kept rolling through his conflicted mind.

He was actual _royalty _by birth, all still kept under strict classification rules pending his attainment of Chunin or age sixteen (if he failed out of the academy) but, given reports of his growing strength and current standing, that was not expected to take very long. His graduation, at a minimum, was all but assured if the idiots trying to sabotage him could be curbed.

He was already rumored to be a powerful shinobi. His capture during his second year at the academy of the rogue Mizuki alone attested to that.

He would come into his own soon enough and an alliance with the impressionable (controllable dare he think?) youth would cost him very little - just the sacrificial lamb of a worthless daughter sitting not thirty yards from his very office. Hiashi tried to clear his throat as he rose and offered back the scroll to its owner.

He absolutely could not risk insulting the powerful heir. Furthermore, he'd need to meet with the elders and insure, under pain of caging if necessary, that his entire clan did the same.

Glancing down into the surprisingly sharp stare of the boy two-thirds his height, he didn't think his clan would have an issue with his current plan.

"That changes everything, Naruto-san…sama." He bowed stiffly at the waist. "I accept your request and grant you permission to court my daughter. Please conduct yourself as a proper gentleman when in public." Naruto returned the bow with a nod, then spun on his heels and exited the office.

He felt soiled, violated on an intimate level by a man he considered lower than dirt. There was only one way to correct that and his eyes immediately sought out-.

"Naruto-kun!" He turned to see a very shocked Hinata, a Hinata whose eyes continually took in the fancy garb and clean grooming until they finally settled on the bouquet of flowers in his hand, which he promptly stepped forward and held out to her with both of his own. Once she took them, he took her left hand in his, knelt to the ground, leaned forward to gently kiss the back of said hand, and looked up into her sparkling eyes now as big around as they could go.

"Hinata-chan, you are the strength I find to lift myself from despair and sorrow. Yours is the face I hope to spend the rest of my days looking upon in awe until darkness claims my last breath." He tried not to blush as he recited the words Tamami was speaking directly into his mind via their spirit link.

"I want to walk by your side, through good and bad, until I no longer can or until you send me away to my ultimate despair. With this pledge of my heart I ask, will you be my girlfriend with the hopes of one day making me the happiest man alive when you become my beloved wife?"

This was the waking fulfillment of her every frenzied fantasy involving her blond crush. How many days and nights had her mind foisted just this scenario on her? How she longed to hear these words, or some very similar, from his lips and envisioned him kneeling before her asking for her hand. Her only reply was a stuttering, "Y-Y-Yesss," as she passed out, falling directly onto him and knocking them both to the floor amongst the ecstatic shrieks of concerned nannies squealing in delight.

That night he spoiled his Hyuuga princess. Still dressed in his fancy kimono (once female attendants of her clan brushed him immaculately clean to his raging embarrassment), he took her to the nicest restaurant he could find. Despite not immediately recognizing the Kyuubi brat, they couldn't risk antagonizing the Hyuuga heiress, therefore the host had to let them in. Together the two dined by candlelight and talked of happy times to come together and the looks on the faces of their friends next time they all got together next week. Hinata, in particular, couldn't wait to see Ino again.

Several familiar faces, including Kurenai and a very hopeful Asuma, recognized the couple while sharing smiling glances and knowing winks of their own. Many other unknowns simply pointed and scowled.

Naruto and Hinata were oblivious to it all and left after having the best night of both their lives. A quiet walk through the parks as the sun set behind burning clouds and Naruto scooped up his lovely girlfriend bridal style before going from rooftop to monument mountain face straight to the top of the Fourth Hokage's image where they sat, and kissed, to the burning sacrifice of the Konoha sun.

It was a perfect day and Naruto pointedly ignored the adoring sighs from kunoichi who had stalked them from dinner and were now hiding in the bushes behind them.

The two spent the rest of the summer getting very acquainted with each other but, before things got hot and heavy, Naruto decided it was time to come clean. If anyone deserved to know the unadulterated truth it was Hinata. So, it was one night in the living room of his family home that he sat her down, after prying her lips from his own and her arms from around his neck, that he asked for her undivided attention. She had wanted to slip into her bathing suit and drag him into the onsen, which the Hyuugas did not have and she not-so-secretly loved, and she was growing frustrated with his reluctance towards her stripping off her garments for his benefit. Was she not attractive enough? This was bordering on the questionable orientation side of things and sending up warning flares. Naruto raised his hands asking for her patience as he rolled into a bit of history.

"Before we take this any further, you still have a way out." She blinked, her face a mask of worry. This was not starting out well.

"Hinata, you have a right to know all my secrets."

"Please tell me you're not gay!" she blurted out before her hand could cover her insolent mouth. He chuckled and smothered her with a passionate kiss that took the air from her lungs and, just like that, he broke away to finish the conversation. He could hear her sigh of relief.

"No, I'm not gay." To emphasize his point, one finger traced the corner of her lip, down the slender lines of her throat, over the bump of her collar and along the sloping line of her breast to swirl gentle circles around the growing nub poking through her shirt. "I am most definitely not gay." His face got very serious and he sat across from her and took her hands into his own. Her body shivered, and her mouth pouted once he took that lovely sensation from her chest, but she waited patiently for him to continue.

"Tell me what you know of the Kyuubi." Her response was automatic, almost clinical despite the apparent random change in topic and its twisting of her eyebrows, one high and one low.

"The Kyuubi attacked Konohagakure on October tenth, eleven... no, twelve years ago today and was defeated by Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage." He nodded allowing that the academy answer was accurate as taught.

"The Kyuubi never died." When her head snapped back to his eyes, she was shocked and concerned for him. "The Kyuubi was a bijuu, one of the "Great Nine" and the most powerful to boot. No mere mortal could kill her." She barely noticed the chibi fox now laying in between the two of them as focused as she was on his words.

"So… what happened to the Kyuubi no Youko?"

Naruto released one of her hands and lifted his shirt exposing his solid stomach. While she drooled just a bit at this, her eyebrows shot to the top of her head once he channeled chakra forcing it into his stomach and bringing the tetragram seal matrix to the surface in all of its complicated malevolence.

Knowing that he had her attention he continued. "The Fourth Hokage sealed the demon's chakra into the body and still developing chakra coils of a baby only hours old," he paused for effect, "…into his own baby son."

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes - Complicated Relationships**

The Kitsune Chronicles continue in the hopes that I can help ease your quarantine blues wherever you are.

This chapter focused on the added complications that can occur in relationships whether the participants are ninja or youkai. Life is complicated by itself and people can mess it up without too much effort. That doesn't get any easier when you're an uber-powered assassin in training and things are about to grow increasingly complicated for our hero in ways he hasn't yet envisioned.

Now, whether it's my highly-complex (at I think it is) "No More" or this, my first and considerably less convoluted story plot, how the interplay of the characters with each other emerges still affects how the story develops. Bad guys still do bad things outside of our protagonist's sphere of influence and even supporting characters get a vote. For simplicity's sake, I opted to streamline a lot of that in the first draft which led to it becoming a two-story production. With my revised story map, we now see a slightly more complex rendition as things are brought to light in almost real-time.

This should also deepen the supporting cast for our hero.

[1] Kyuubi calling Tamami "Aga-chan" refers to her initial meeting of the Twins prior to her interrupted Awakening trip. It was during that meeting that the newly-initiated vessel for the Nine-tails was so stricken with the curvy vixen's gentle spirit, enchanting beauty, and goddess-like figure that she likened her to the Papilio Machaon (also referred to as the Yellow Swallowtail butterfly, which I believe in Japanese is "Agahachō" - someone much more familiar with the language would have to advise me on this), a beautiful golden creature found in Japan. Tamami's love of blue items comes from the gentle shades found on the lower wings of this delicate insect.

[2] Bōka, or "The Leavening" is a Kitsune tradition intended to reverse the horrific damage forced upon the male Kitsune populace by the Tenth (and final) male Taichou. His warlike tendencies took the once predominately male portion of the population from its comfortable 3 to 1 male-to-female ratio to its current 1 to 1,000. The Leavening is held once every human decade and there are two such events, one for the general Kitsune populace and one for the ruling elite (The Taichou and the royals of the clans, though the official number of the latter is difficult to verify). The first is held every five years after the Royal event so that, between the two, there is a sharing of the Kitsune gene pool using the strongest males to impregnate mature females available every five years, one of the only times that clan allegiances are left out of the equation. Given the incredibly low birth rates among Kitsune, they're lucky if one or two births occur from these gathering of Kitsune, which are needed to provide more strong-blooded males to remove females from the fighting force once the population balance is restored (killing off strong females in battle is seen as an idiotic way to reduce and already limited way to create more Kitsune thereby hastening the extinction of the Kitsune race).

-_ Ja Ne!_


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** As you can guess from the last update, the Hiashi in this story is not the caring but misguided father he is in my "No More" fic. No, he's a right evil bastard in Nature of the Savage Beast. While it's not intentional bashing, it is the result of years of improperly managed grief at the loss of his wife, whom his daughter reminds him of every single day, compounded by the heartless demands of his obnoxious clan. I'm not excusing his behavior only trying to shed some light on it; I've seen much more horrible examples of this kind of behavior and I've always found it heartbreaking to watch. Maybe Hiashi will be able to find absolution at some point in his life?

~I I I~

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Man With A Plan**

~I I I~

* * *

Suddenly it all made sense, him being able to open the blood seals to the Namikaze estates, inheriting the Yondaime's legacy, the hatred of the villagers, and the complete turnaround of her father's dislike of the boy. It all made sense.

"Soooooo… what does that mean for us?" she asked. He took a deep and settling breath, his nerves a wreck and his eyes dreading an answer to a question he was afraid to ask.

"You have to decide if you want to stay with a demon or-_urk_!"

She dove forward and wrapped her hands around his neck silencing him with a shout. "STOP IT! _You_ are not a demon. _You_ did not attack the village eleven years ago."

That one expression said it all. He let out a long happy sigh (once the pressure of her stranglehold on his neck lightened up), but it wasn't over. The hard part was yet to come, and he once again pried her loose.

"There is more." She took a few calming breaths and calmly folded her hands into her lap.

"Okay, I am ready." Although she wasn't really sure if she could take more. She was holding up well, but this was a lot to take in at once. At that point, she noticed the second chibi fox that looked identical to the first and looked up at him clearly confused.

"Being the Kyuubi's jailer has interesting perks. For instance, I have two Kitsune bodyguards that stay with me, usually one at a time." At that moment, the twins dropped their transformation and two very attractive, very curvy Kitsune maidens were seated on the floor to either side of her boyfriend.

Hinata was unnaturally still. That one in the kimono had enormous breasts and her previous clan meeting suddenly made a lot more sense as her mind began to connect the dots. _'Golden blonde, huge boobs... Funny, she doesn't seem like a hussie...'_

"Also, I have a bloodline set but it's kind of... unusual…" He dropped his transformation and waited for the screaming to start. He didn't know what to make of it when she glommed onto him and wrapped his tail around her neck.

Tatsua looked at Tamami and calmly stated, "I think he was worried about her for nothing." Tama-chan merely nodded and they transformed back into foxes before sauntering off to hunt small game in the neighboring woods.

Naruto was perplexed if the pained look on his face was any indication.

"Wait, wait-wait-wait-wait! You're okay with this?!" He waggled his lupine ears and tails to emphasize the fact that he was most decidedly not all human. For someone greatly concerned a minute ago that she'd bolt at the site of his half-Kitsune hybrid body, he was not adjusting to her acceptance very well.

Hinata giggled from behind one of his tails.

"Silly Naruto. I accepted you for who you were years ago. These," she stroked the tail she was holding against her cheek eliciting a shudder of approval from the Uzumaki heir, "...are cute and, yes, will take some getting used to. That doesn't change how I feel."

To prove her point, Hinata spent the next few minutes removing her clothes from the waist up, so she could rub that same silky tail across all of her skin. She took the news very well apparently.

Naruto spent the same amount of time fighting back his chronic nosebleed. His tails were apparently very, very sensitive and Hinata was growing into a finely-curved young lady.

~I I I~

Summer flew by and, before they knew it, the genin hopefuls were back in class preparing for final exams. Ino was heartbroken at losing Naruto to the bluenette but pressed on.

Naruto patiently waited for the other shoe to drop. It wouldn't have been too difficult to figure out whom the Hokage would need to torture since only four people, not including the Hokage, were privileged to know that the Namikaze heir had claimed his ancestral home, all of which were Hyuuga but only one of which he trusted. It would have been a very short list for T&I to interrogate to find the leak.

It never came to pass though and, gradually, Naruto began to quietly settle into his new life eventually moving into his new abode complete with Kitsune servants and guards, all of which Kyuubi arranged to make female, which annoyed Hinata to no end making her loathe to leave him alone at night.

What could go wrong with an ever-increasingly hormonal pre-teen surrounded by beautiful women even if they did all have fox ears and tails and, yes, they were very cute tails thank you very much. _Why couldn't she have a tail of her own? Oh, right... she wasn't a Kitsune vixen no matter how much the term made her blush._

The start of the final year, however, brightened her mood considerably. All it took was that first agonizing wail from Ino when the two lovebirds entered class holding hands. While Sakura rejoiced at losing a rival for Sasuke-kun's affections (realistically Hinata was never a threat), Ino pouted in mourning for two months straight… then the clan structure and special legislation series began, and the blonde literally shrieked in joy as the Clan Restoration Act came up.

The Uzumaki clan from Uzushiogakure was a founding clan in Konohagakure and Naruto was, as far as they knew, the last surviving member, which meant that he could petition to restart the clan in Konoha and THAT meant that she still had a chance. Ino apparently did not mind sharing and took every opportunity to let Naruto and Hinata know this.

While this earned her concerned looks from her small group of friends and one very displeased glare from Hinata, at first, that topic also made one Haruno Sakura very concerned among the Uchiha Elite Fan club, of which she was the precarious president. Her dominant hold on the top spot was looking shaky as the Uchiha clan was already well established in Konoha and there were at least a dozen eligible ladies sitting within arm's reach with hungry stares at the duck-haired emo wonder.

As such a matter is among the terminally short attention spans of pre-teens, that concern lasted until Iruka brought up the graduation survival expedition-edition exam. Groans of agony echoed through the classroom, much to Iruka's dismay, as it promised to be another week-long exercise in futility. Many of the Sasuke-ettes (as Naruto referred to them) spent weeks complaining about bugs nesting in their hair after last year's snooze-a-thon.

As Iruka's eye twitch threatened to bring forth another stern outburst and lecture coinciding with his dreaded _Big Head no Jutsu_, a novel concept was thrown into the mix like a primed tag from the blonde prankster.

"Ano, Iruka sensei. We already know how to set up camps for patrol missions and extended out of area what-nots. Why don't we make this interesting and throw in what we've learned to date about counter-espionage and tactical opposition? We can even use training aids (so no one gets too badly hurt) and use mentors and spotters from Jounin instructors so they get a chance to see their future students before they get stuck with us after graduation."

Now, this idea caught everyone's attention and, despite hating his guts for no specified reason other than petty jealousy for making Sasuke-kun look the pitiful pouter he was wont to be, anything that cuts down messy stays out in nature was a plus to the pampered party and formed the few times where the class actively listened to the village pariah.

"Okay Naruto, you obviously have an idea so let's hear what you have to say before any decisions are made." Naruto hopped down to the floor in one go and borrowed an unbroken piece of chalk, pushing the heavily notated sliding chalkboard section over for a fresh canvas.

"I propose a modified game of capture the flag." He began by laying out a rectangle, long and slender, that drooped at the ends making it look like a soggy pasta shell. At the top of it, he wrote, "Training Area Seventeen." Immediately Iruka frowned as he was quite familiar with the standard wargame locale.

"Naruto, that area isn't big enough for an extended survival exercise. You'd all end up being stacked upon one another and get nothing done." Naruto grinned in response.

"This isn't going to be an extended survival exercise. This is going to be a survival sprint to the finish." He added two marks at either vertical end of the rectangle, near their center points. One he marked with a start and the other a finish. Most of the students were familiar with this training area as it was used extensively for trap training and elemental control.

"Two teams, one aggressor and one defender. The defenders," he tapped the eastern edge of the soggy noodle, "…start here with a simple objective – to reach the end with their prize intact. Call it an escort or package retrieval mission." Naruto drew a squiggly line from one end of the training area to the other and added key landmarks, including the small lake, its stream outlet, and the man-made rock quarry.

"Training Area Seventeen is a mile wide by seven miles long and is perfect for opposition forces training, meaning it's big enough for what we need but not too big to make a safety observer's job impossible. In truth, this could be done with our two primary instructors and two to three extra observers.

"The defender force must use their survival skills, information gathering, ninjutsu, genjutsu and any other non-lethal jutsu available to traverse the training area, while staying within the bounded field of play, while also holding off or defeating the aggressor force, whose sole purpose is to either gain control of or eliminate what the defenders are transporting, using similar skills in addition to whatever stealth and tracking abilities they have to overcome their opponents. They could even be a smaller force starting off with a greater deficit as the defenders would be less mobile being tied to a permanent objective, possibly even a civilian dignitary or merchant, which is often the case.

"The best part of this construct is that it's conducted inside the walls where we can control the level of difficulty and danger to students. We introduce only the threat level desired to achieve the mission goals and can have medic nins available should things go bad, something difficult to coordinate with real-world injuries and mission support. If you think about it, we could even supply our own," he held up two fingers on each hand for quotation marks, "'med-nins' and give them controlled combat-related experience before sending them out in real combat situations.

"The training area runs along the inner edge of the village wall on the northwestern front so there is plenty of tree line and cover for ambush and stealth. If we give each force a week to observe the training area and plan, we could finalize the rules of engagement concerning the exercise over the next two weeks along with individual objectives established by our primary advisors for each training team. More importantly, this survival exercise now resembles a mission we are more likely to see once we graduate and we can begin to familiarize ourselves now with the standard briefing and debriefing protocols we'll be expected to know and use well once we start real missions with real customers."

When Naruto replaced the chalk on the eraser tray, he glanced up at the class and saw hungry eyes. Suddenly the survival exercise was no longer a boring milestone to be checked on the way out the door. Also, it was known that not every student graduated to become full combat nins, many shunting to domestic support roles like medic nins, lawyers, or law enforcement as they didn't just lose the ability to mold chakra overnight. This provided valuable experience to support that career transition. This crazy proposal from the class pariah was becoming more and more appealing as it was being repeatedly compared to the original option.

Iruka began to ask questions not addressed in the impromptu mission brief.

"And what of team structure?"

Naruto shrugged. "This type of exercise can be run multiple times if needed. I say let the groups appoint their leader for this first run. If we find that some are not naturally fit for leadership, we can change it AFTER the run is complete and try again. They would have to modify plans on the fly with the leadership change but that happens anyway when people get taken out after first contact with the enemy. Any ninja can be forced to become a leader when members of their team get taken out by enemy action or even accidents in the wild. It's good experience." Iruka nodded. He had given some thought to this concept.

"How do you propose we divide up the class?" Iruka queried.

Here was the tricky part as he knew a good majority of the class would rather set their clothes on fire while wearing them than be tied to him.

"I propose a small aggressor group for the first run made up of myself, Hyuuga Hinata, Akimichi Choji, Aburame Shino, and Yamanaka Ino (Ino preened at this) with Nara Shikamaru as our leader. His planning and strategies are far better than mine, but I'll offer my services as planning support. The rest can form the defender team with one person as the high-value objective." He absently waved a hand in dismissal, "They can nominate their own leader." The Nara heir blinked at the praise and responded in his usual terse one-word manner even if he secretly enjoyed the planning part of the exercise – he'd just never let them know that.

"How much time do you think it would take to prepare for this?" Iruka wanted a well thought out plan and not an impulsive mish-mash of chaos. It was a good concept and it would do wonders to the boy if it was well executed. Naruto, through the last three years, had grown on him and the Mizuki incident still left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

"We want to minimize preparation for the teams. Like any mission, you only have limited time and limited amounts of information to start with and we should honor that 'fog of war' concept as much as possible in the academy. Teams can inspect the training area as much as they want within the exercise construct but, to minimize the risk of cross-contamination, each team should be limited to three days leading immediately up to the exam. Teams will be responsible for safeguarding their plan outside of this building. This will limit advanced notice but encourage espionage and information gathering as we are ninja and that's what we do."

Naruto shrugged. "As to the rules of the game, once we have identified all the game support we can get from the Hokage, we can map it out in a few weeks, even holding a weekly brief for the large-scale planning and coordination then end with individual mission briefs to the observers and staff members with the Hokage in the briefing auditorium. The groups can brief separately to keep plans as guarded as possible."

"I like the med nin thread in your planning, Naruto. I'll broach the idea at the next large-scale staff meeting with the Hokage tomorrow. If it is received as well as I believe it will be, we may be able to get long-term training support for this exercise. Nicely done! In fact, it was so nicely done, I'll give the rest of the morning period for teams to meet and begin brainstorming strategy for this exercise as I am very confident this will be well received." He gently patted the boy's muscular shoulder as he beamed proudly.

Naruto accepted the praise with a bashful grin, not used to any sort of public praise from authority figures. Across the class, many were nodding in agreement and anxiously rubbing their hands together for the event. Looking back to his friends, he noticed that they were all looking at him strangely, almost as if they were proud of him.

"Nicely done Naruto. Your logic is sound, and this promises to be much more productive than the standard exercise." Shino was clearly impressed as Naruto barely spoke more in class than he did. It was often easy to mistake him as the dense muscle head type and discard relevant input.

Hinata and Ino were both aglow and Choji offered an unopened bag of chips with his free hand (his other was traveling constantly from the open bag in his lap to his face), which Naruto accepted happily and shared with the rest of his group.

"Troublesome Naruto that you would offer me up as a sacrifice for your crazy plan." Shikamaru looked askance at the older boy.

"Come on Shika, you beat me five out of eight times at shogi. You're perfect for the job."

The Nara smiled at that while Hinata and Ino both goggled. Naruto was the only one that beat him semi-regularly at shogi, so the blonde wasn't exactly useless when it came to strategy. His earlier assessment, however, was a valid one and the Nara was looking forward to the challenge. Where Naruto would earn his pay came in with all the trickery he brought to bear. He was infamous for his early years of pranking and could shine a different light on the same problem.

The group began to develop a meeting schedule and look for a place to plot away from prying eyes. Glancing once over his shoulder, Shikamaru figured they would need it as Kiba's sense of hearing made any significant planning in class almost impossible.

_**Next Day, Hokage Tower, Konohagakure No Sato…**_

Iruka had no idea how accurate his assessment was on acceptance of this training initiative. It was so well received that the Hokage assigned it a standing B-rank training protocol designator, meaning it immediately became eligible for recurring budgetary considerations. This automatically opened the door as an annual curriculum event with full training support, provided the initial showing tendered academic merit. Uzumaki Naruto would gain instructor credit for the idea and that was vital for recognition to his contributions towards Konoha. It was instant status for a boy that had none his whole life.

Now it had to be a success. There was no other way but for it to succeed.

Konoha's medical forces were ecstatic. This exercise provided badly needed experience for their nins-in-training in near-combat-like environments. This was the best thing they could get short of people actually being dismembered (and who was to say that could not happen still?). The legal department was already clamoring about waivers and exculpatory clauses but, as far as the doctors were concerned, they were all in. They'd even push for night time training to simulate as many realistic battle experiences as possible roping in the Sapper Division for their explosive simulations and flashbangs.

The merchant's consortium was happy to support. They could care less about combat logistics. What they cared about was profit and supplying materials for this would give them that. From the sounds of things, this would require quite a bit upfront just to get off the ground.

They were a go.

When Iruka reported back to the class the very next day that the project was approved and that they had two days for initial planning before transitioning to the three-day detailed exercise planning window, the entire class was ecstatic. Initial team structures were due before the weekend let out. Detailed briefs were due to primary observers as a mini-brief before the big joint team briefings to the Hokage, by Thursday of next week. Each team would be allotted a one-hour time slot to present their strategy and allow observers to ask questions. The final briefs would be given Friday morning leading up to lunch and would be allotted two hours apiece due to the larger audience.

Teams were not allowed to make changes after the final briefs although team strategy changes could be made on-the-fly once the exercise started. They would have the weekend off starting the moment the team briefings were done (no spars that afternoon to prevent injuries) and planned to start at zero-six-hundred on the following Monday morning.

Naruto would have to meet nightly with Iruka and _Jackal_, the now long-serving combat instructor from ANBU, to discuss training aid requirements after classes let out for the day. They would further refine those needs as the week of planning went along.

_**After Class at Ichiraku's…**_

Jackal was still fuming that the _Sushi Hub_ wouldn't let Naruto in. He was so incensed that Iruka had to consciously ignore the larger man's muttering about pranking plots on his former favorite eatery as he discussed the class's need for "war supplies."

"Training aids, Naruto? The academy has blunted kunai and shuriken as well as training tags (low-grade explosives barely more than firecrackers). Will that be enough?"

"Since my team is the aggressor and will need to set up ambushes, we'd like to propose the following upgrades to our training simulations." Naruto's grin was positively feral and, as Iruka read down the very short list, he found the boy's grin infectious.

"You'll find our modifications to existing training aids as well as design blueprints for new additions. I've brought some functioning samples I've managed to build with Higurashi-san's help." His last comment snapped Jackal out of his sushi-funk as the masked instructor perked right up.

Naruto was hopeful inside as he saw this as a way to pay back the kind blacksmith for his kindness to the orphan. The nodding smiles he saw on Iruka's face as he and Jackal pointed and commented on the blueprints made him considerably more relaxed. Jackal's later test runs on the prototypes, however, sealed the deal when the instructor ran out of test models (that he aggressively used against panicked ANBU initiates suddenly spouting brink pink and Indiglo orange slash marks and paint splotches) and asked for more the following day.

A lot more... to objectively and thoroughly test through the heavily disciplined use of the Scientific Method, of course.

Naruto coughed up his last half dozen test sets, a test kit containing twenty shuriken, five kunai, and a refillable tanto, gleefully knowing he'd have to make a fresh batch once the academy paid for the first order. Oddly enough that order hit Higurashi's desk his very next workday (enthusiastically endorsed by a maniacal Jackal) which kept him very busy and the Higurashis very happy. They'd finally gotten their foot into contracting, an area normally kept under tight guard by the Council Mercantile Consortium. By way of thanks, the Higurashis invited Naruto to break bread with them that night and a very drunken Naruto awoke the next day on the shop couch next to a very passed out blacksmith who had his bear of an arm slung around the boy's neck.

He was apparently family now.

~III~

"Ugh!"

Tamami frowned at her Taichou's early morning pain. "This will teach you to stay out late carousing will malcontents," she sniffed.

"_Mal_-I was with the Higurashi family!" He immediately regretted his own raised voice, his right hand gripping his forehead as he pleaded with a sniggering Kyuubi to purge his system of the residual alcohol. It wasn't even that much as he'd only had three cups worth before falling over!

All he got were her giggling snorts and reprimands about shinobi vices in return.

"No more grumbling." Her disapproving eye ranged out to take in the small army of clones clumped up in groups working on the basic academy katas under Tatsua's supervision and the Basic Three (as they were calling the Ninpou Jutsus needed to graduate in the final) before returning to her cluster of ten Narutos just barely keeping a leaf stuck to their foreheads.

"We have a lot of progress to make before the final Genin exams. Your human chakra control is horrible!" She ignored his cute pout. "We'll more than likely need to work on the Ghost Step once we master the Floating Leaf. If that does not correct your control issues, we'll most likely need to work through both sheathing and channeling before trying tree walking."

Naruto had to admit that he was surprised there were soo many levels to chakra control exercises. Even though Iruka had been following the academy curriculum, the scarred Chunin had only mentioned in passing the tree-climbing exercise as the next logical step in mastering their chakra; somewhere along the line, the current lesson plan had been tragically gutted. Tamami finding an outdated academy textbook in one of the second-hand bookstores turned out a much more detailed study plan and only spurred her more to find more books from the Third War academy period. Despite some of the history being a touch dated, the modifications she was able to make to his home study had been huge but that wasn't why he was grumbling so early in the morning.

"I don't understand why I have to use my human chakra to do this." Now he was sounding petulant and, deep down, knew it.

"We've been _over_ this, Taichou."

Naruto winced. She was using that nearly angry tone Tamami reserved for her sister when the vixen was being excessively hardheaded. Admittedly, he was being stubborn because he wanted to go back to bed to sleep off his mild hangover (he tried to ignore Kyuubi's giggling at his expense) rather than chugging through more chakra control training.

He almost countered her "_we've been over this_" with another grumble about using his Reika chakra to refill his flagging Reiatsu reserves but instead headed off that losing argument by changing track to an aspect of his new Kitsune biology not discussed in great detail in the scroll Kyuubi gave him. There wasn't a lot of information as, from what he could tell, he was the only Kitsune of his kind.

"I understand what you said about my chakra network atrophying from lack of use but won't that just mean I'll have a large reserve once my Reika network subsumes it?"

Her large huff indicated another lecture was forthcoming and the nine copies sitting next to him winced. One slapped the back of his head knocking the leaf hanging precariously to its front to the dewy ground.

"Not necessarily, Taichou. Your natural network will atrophy but, then again, so will your natural reserves. The Modulous Gland prevents the complete absorption of your chakra network meaning you'll end up with a shriveled network no stronger than the average civilian. You would lose the capacity for that high-powered Jutsu, those chakra-consuming A-ranked and S-ranked ones, you wish to learn later as the Kitsune are not the chakra powerhouses of the Youkai world. Yes, you could potentially gain up to eight tails making you a powerful Kitsune, however, the individual reserves for each tail are less than a fourth what one of your Chunin is capable of building. Remember Taichou that your tails give you greater control at the expense of larger reserves but that doesn't mean you could throw Jutsu with your Reika network 'all day long' as you often say."

Naruto frowned even as he took up his now damp leaf once more and stuck it once again to his forehead. Kitsune could grow to be powerful but there was a reason why none of them grew into S-Ranked monsters. This meant that he'd need to work twice as hard if he was going to keep his clans safe from opportunistic humans.

Tamami, in addition to making him work basic chakra control, had begun teaching him the history of the Kitsune including how they suffered under persecution from greedy humans that trafficked in young vixens. Suddenly, he had a lot more motivation to improve his genetic chakra pool and his terrible control over it.

Tamami's early morning frown began to melt away at his renewed sense of purpose.

~III~

The collective of friends was at Choji's favorite barbeque hang out after class and laughing off some of the excitement from the previous "good news." Shikamaru was looking forward to trying out their new patented training tools, to which each member of the group made a small royalty commission with every order the school made. Rumor had it that the ANBU were looking to stock their training armory and a rather large order was being finalized through the Hokage's office. If it panned out, those advanced training aids could eventually get adapted into the general shinobi forces and other combat units, like the Konoha police force and Hunter nin cadre.

Apparently, it was a big deal and lots of groups were excited about it (people tended to ignore training hits because standard tools didn't leave fluorescent proof that you'd been struck, a lot like when kids played _Shinobi versus Bandits_). A lot of groups meant everyone except for the Merchant Guild, who apparently received none of the profits from this and we apparently very agitated in the weekly Council meeting, according to the grinning Hokage. The issue was begrudgingly dropped when the Hokage informed the annoyed council members that they would need to negotiate directly with the person that patented the designs and, discovering that Naruto was the originator, promptly sulked off to grumble and pout in large drunken groups. This all suited Naruto just fine as he had an exercise to plan for.

"We still need a place to plan. We can't do it at school or in open places like this." Ino leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered. "You never know who is listening."

"Ino-san is right. I would offer my clan home but…" Hinata's voice trailed off in apology. She didn't want to push it off on Naruto either given his slowly reducing reluctance at just being in the Namikaze manor, to begin with. He still hadn't shared this with the rest of the group and that made revelations… challenging.

"We could use my clan home," the Nara spoke up. "My dad is excited by this concept and wants to observe us unofficially." Naruto grinned. Perhaps they could rope him into commenting on their plan. "Say… after school for a couple hours? Most of our detailed planning will come after our days in the training area since we'll have all morning for scouting and planning."

_**At the Nara Ranch…**_

And just like that their planning headquarters was established. The Nara's even had a large bank of picnic tables they'd set up in the back of their estate for weekend barbeques with the Akimichis, which was perfect for laying out maps. Naruto used the map documents they had to build a holographic map that he could spin and manipulate. He said the technique came from a Chunin-level genjutsu called "The Veil Technique" and he created a three-dimensional scale model of the training area complete with mini-trees and a small lake.

The small group was impressed and used the gathering of paper maps to help make the illusion as accurate as possible.

By their third meeting, Naruto was becoming very adept at shifting the terrain to show what Shikamaru wanted to focus on and inserting chibi characters representing their team. Shika had found a wooden pointer in his dad's office and began using it to highlight places he felt made good ambush sites based on multiple routes the opposing team might use. Naruto was looking forward to surveying the training site to shore up his genjutsu.

The instructors were giving them broad amounts of freedom to make this plan successful even so far as to suspend lectures for the three days leading up to the briefings, so long as they provided daily updates from three to four in the afternoon. They basically ran their own schedule – so long as they showed significant progress while developing and planning out their first mission scenario, a very Chunin-level skill. Their first meeting Thursday afternoon was very illuminating.

The group was listing individual skills and sorting them in groups, so they could take stock of what assets were available. Ino's lack of focus in her academy training was beginning to show but she was determined to support the team (and change her personal training regimen after the fact, one she planned to leverage her friends heavily for). Naruto was quickly finding himself overtasked, but it didn't seem to faze him one bit. In frustration, Shikamaru began wondering if his team was big enough to do the job.

"Don't worry Shika." The Nara sighed, both hands trying to squeeze his head like a melon.

"How can I not?! In order to pull this off Naruto, you have to be in like… ten places at once!" Naruto merely grinned and, for the sake of instruction since he'd mastered the seal-less version months ago, summoned ten perfect Kage Bunshin clones, each with their arms folded and replete with feral grins.

"But Naruto how will normal bunshins help us?" Ino started out. "They can't physically do anything and they can't move –."

She was silenced when Naruto held one hand up behind him and a random clone "high-fived" him with an audible slap of flesh against flesh. To be safe, he repeated the action on his other side.

Both the elder and younger Nara were already speechless but Ino hadn't noticed the difference until that display. Hinata's face blushed crimson and she gently began to knead the arms of one of the clones before glomming on to him with everything she had. Ino took a page out of her book and snagged another, which Hinata didn't appear to mind (so long as she left the original alone).

"_Kage Bunshins_ are solid, independently operated and capable of using whatever jutsu I can."

Shika's face was breaking out into a feral grin to match his blond friend's.

"Furthermore, they make excellent spies as they can instantly transmit whatever they see and hear back to my brain by dispelling themselves." This made Ino gape like a fish.

"Uh, Naruto… how many of those can you make? I thought that was a forbidden jutsu for a reason?" Shika's question caught both Shino's and Hinata's interest.

"It's forbidden unless it's taught through family clan techniques and this technique is in my clan library. And yes, I do actually have a clan history. Sorry I didn't share that before." Shika waived that off although he congratulated the boy on the discovery.

The comment did bring a smile to Ino's face, much to Hinata's displeasure.

"To answer your question Shika, the technique divides your chakra equally among the clones you create so chakra exhaustion is a concern for most shinobi. It's not a concern for me as I have the hereditary enormous chakra reserves of the Uzumaki Clan." He left out the little part about his modified version. "I can routinely make hundreds of them without worrying about reserves and they usually hang around about twenty hours, give or take."

Shikamaru was rubbing his hands together like an evil genius. Naruto had just given him an army to play with and he planned to use them to their fullest. Shikaku, his father, was looking at the Kyuubi container in a new light - both good and bad.

Ino thought that moment might be a good chance to mention a certain jutsu her father was teaching her to support this exercise…

_**At the Academy…**_

Shikamaru stood tall at the concept and team structure brief. They were using the briefing hall for these pre-briefs in order to get as many dry runs for the teams as possible and make the best use of the security seals. The Nara was pointing to a semi-transparent 3D model of the training area being generated by one of Naruto's genjutsu constructs, which garnered almost as many questions as the brief itself. It was proving very helpful for zooming into and out of the simulated training area and even created life-like models of his team in a horizontal organizational matrix. So long as Shikamaru precluded his comments with verbal cues, Naruto had no problem shifting the veil to display what he needed.

Once the briefing ended, Iruka, Jackal and the Hokage, who had been curious about the pre-briefs, having heard of Naruto's use of the veil during Thursday's session and wanted to see for himself, all clapped at the impressive display.

"Well done young Nara. I look forward to your full strategic briefs starting Monday." The Hokage vanished in a swirl of smoke and leaves.

_**Monday Morning Briefs in the Auditorium…**_

Sasuke, the unanimously nominated leader of his group, had scoffed as the aggressor group entered the briefing room (after his group of course) carrying nothing but Shikamaru's pointer stick. His group had a half-dozen members carrying charts, graphs, and props (they're action figures, _not_ dolls, _damnit_!) and numerous other briefing tools. Ten minutes into the defender concept brief, the assistants had lost track of or misplaced several props and, in an act of mercy, the Hokage ended their display of confusion stating they had supplied more than enough detail for him to "get the gist." Sasuke left triumphantly, convinced the blond dobe and the pineapple-haired wonder didn't stand a chance.

Once the doors closed on the departing Defender team, Shikamaru took a deep breath and nodded to his blond partner in crime.

"Since our group is very compact, we are proceeding under a multi-tasking construct."

The veil shifted from the terrain to images of all team members while Ino dimmed the chamber lights, Shika at the top and a dotted line appeared from his feet to the heads of the remaining team below him.

"I will fill the leadership and strategic requirement with Naruto as my squad leader and tactical support."

Another dotted line trekked out between Shika and the main group, a chibi Naruto popping up wearing a funny uniform and giving a "thumbs up" sign, teeth gleaming in imitation of Gai's bursting Flames of Youth. The implied instructor noticed and beamed in return, his flashing teeth nearly blinding everyone in the darkened room.

"Naruto and Shino will dual-hat with information and intelligence gathering assisted by Ino as our communications hub."

Smaller clusters of chibi team members began to spread out forming a loose circle with the Nara in the center of the spoke and Ino at his side, wiggly lines coming out from her head to all of the other team members. Groups began to pulse with light as he touched on their functions.

"Naruto and Hinata will cover short to long-range enemy surveillance support while Ino and Shino will cover Interrogation post-capture. The bulk of our assault force will be supported through Kage Bunshins to minimize loss of tactical firepower." Many chibi Naruto cells began to spread out below the core group.

At this point, the Hokage interrupted. "How do you know an A-class forbidden jutsu, Naruto?" Everyone noted that the Hokage's eyes held a dangerous light.

"I found the scroll in my family library." He plucked a scroll from a thigh pouch and tossed it to Iruka. On it was a was seal with the Namikaze crest pressed into it and the scroll was written in his father's flowing script. Iruka blinked and handed it to the Hokage who scanned the interior before tossing it back. With a nod, he motioned for them to continue.

Naruto and the Hokage both ignored the quiet murmuring roiling through the darkened room.

"I know that Hinata has the Byakugan but how will Naruto be able to support in intel gathering?" Kurenai knew the answer but she wanted to cement her claim on the boy post-graduation – Iruka was being…_difficult_ with team assignments.

"We have two methods with Naruto. First off, his clones make excellent short-range information gatherers. Second, we've discovered that Naruto has a ridiculously sensitive sense of smell. While not as keen as an Inuzuka, we've been able to verify through independent testing that he can track by smell up to half a mile away without using chakra to enhance his abilities, a talent he has also developed to a ridiculous degree."

Tsume and her daughter, who had been invited to attend and oversee nin-ken involvement in the exercise both raised their eyebrows in shock. Both of them wondered if this stemmed from his connection to the bijuu and, at a minimum, it confirmed Hana's shock at the ramen stand.

"As this concludes our initial team structure, we will conclude with our five-pronged attack plan beginning on Monday unless there are questions on our organizational structure?" The whole team stood then turned to face the briefing audience.

"Are you aware of the risks of this jutsu?" this from Boar.

"I am. Sensei and I have it covered." Without making a single seal, fifty Narutos popped into existence filling the seats behind the trio. Boar merely turned back to the front of the room and nodded once. He was satisfied… and significantly impressed. The boy wasn't even winded.

"Naruto, not every class will have a chakra powerhouse like you to even the odds. How do we address this in future exercises?" Naruto could see Iruka's point. This exercise risked failure in future runs based on his anomaly as a jinchuuriki.

"'Let's not kid ourselves. We all know the _vast_ majority of this village hates my guts and that has filtered down to their children, even if they don't know why they hate me." Many observers in the room shifted uncomfortably. "While impossible for this class exercise to go without conflict, you won't have as difficult a time splitting other classes more evenly without me as a polarizer. This manpower limitation should not pose a threat in future iterations since I shouldn't be a factor - so long as I graduate."

The Hokage conceded the point despite how much hurt to hear it. He had tried, truly he had.

"I am most impressed with your efforts to date and can say, without a doubt, that your use of the veil technique will get used in more briefings after this exercise. Well done team!" The Hokage _shunshined_ from the room with an approving smile to the two instructors. Naruto released the bunshins as his group made their way to the Shikamaru ranch for the afternoon review.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes - Reika vs. Reiatsu**

Human chakra derived from the Yin component (_Reiatsu_) is not a simple as saying "it's a watered-down component of chakra energy used by extra-planar entities like the Youkai and the Shinigami (what I'm referring to as _Reika_ in this story). Unfortunately, the example Tamami used to explain it didn't survive the merge so I'm including it here in the post-notes so readers are aware of the difference, its potency, and why Kitsune can still be credible threats despite having smaller reserves tied to each tail.

Tamami, when she explained the concept, used two pots of tea she was boiling at the same time. In one, she boiled a single leaf in an entire pot then poured the water into a clear glass resulting in water with the barest green tinge to it. In the other, she boiled twenty leaves and poured the cloudy brownish-green solution into another clear glass. She then asked him to sip both products and give his honest feedback.

After nearly choking to death on the harsh second solution, she equated the different solutions to _Reiatsu_ (the almost clear glass) to _Reika_ (the heavy mix that nearly constricted his throat). She then asked him how he could use either mixture, using however much he needed, be it many cups to whole lake fulls, to refill the opposite glass once she emptied both glasses to the halfway mark. After studying the problem, Naruto turned to basic science for his answer.

Using the _Reika_ glass to refill the _Reiatsu_ was simple. By taking a small amount, he could dilute it in larger amounts of water until the mixes were roughly similar implying that small amounts of _Reika_, if they were even compatible, could be used to refill many, many, many _Reiatsu_ glasses. Going in the reverse direction got very complicated very quickly ending with him rigging complicated titration-based structures to aggregate and condense enormous volumes of existing _Reiatsu_ solutions to produce enough _Reika_ concentrate of sufficient levels.

In an effort to prevent the increasing frustration level of her Taichou, Tamami put an end to the exercise once he'd amassed roughly twenty cups which enabled refilling the half-empty glass half the distance from its current level to its full mark.

Once he was aware of the difference in potency, they went into compatibility and composition and why it was a bad idea to try and refill empty _Reika_ reserves with human _Reiatsu_ ending with why reverse engineering _Reika_ into _Reiatsu_ was equally if not more dangerous for Shinigami-related reasons.

~III~


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Thank you to **cdog10109** for pointing out the confusion in **Chapter 13** concerning Naruto's seal progress. The way the language was worded did make it seem like our hero just learned storage seals when it was meant as a summary of what he knew up to that point. I've since gone back and cleaned up the language so there should be (hopefully) no conclusion.

In general, I'm trying to keep the language in the story significantly less complicated than _No More_ so that my non-native English readers can enjoy the story without feeling like their doing advanced English Language Studies. To all of my readers, if the story confuses you or you'd like me to make something less confusing, never be afraid to ask. The whole point to sharing stories is so that people enjoy reading them.

For the Guest review from "Keep it up": Thank you for the vote of support. About his heritage, the Uzumaki part I feel would generate less surprise among his teammates other than being happy that he actually has a clan. As for his Namikaze heritage, the only people beyond the few keyed in Shinobi (the Sandaime, Ero-Sennin, and Kakashi) include the four Hyuuga ordered to silence under pain of death. Iruka is smart enough not to make an issue of it during the brief but you can bet it will come up at a later date - just not at this moment (only he and the Hokage saw the seal on the scroll). I didn't go into depth about how each one is dealing with the discovery as they aren't driving characters in this story and I didn't want to detract from the flow any more than necessary. I don't think I even focused on Hanabi beyond that one interaction in the original story. Sure there are some that have their "suspicions" but that won't do them much good without proof or admission from a reputable source - and not many consider Naruto reputable at this stage.

A quick thank you to those that took the time to review. Your comments and feedback are always welcome (**Homework9, cdog1019, biginferno, 'Keep It Up', lara5170, Azrael810**, and all the rest).

Thank you all for sticking with me so far!

_~Siva'a_

~I I I~

* * *

_[Standard Disclaimer]_

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Gauntlet**

~I I I~

* * *

_**At the Namikaze Compound…**_

Saturday morning found him relaxing with Hinata on the upper level of his home, the shade of the pavilion cooling them on a warm August day. She had her back against a column, a pillow cushioning her bottom from the hardwood floor. The upper deck provided an almost three-hundred and forty-degree view of Namikaze lands.

He'd been working the garden plots beyond the clan homes through the year using clone labor to support the field hands and the small rice fields fed from the stream running through his lands were beginning to bear fruit. The rice paddies, with Shino supplying predator bugs to eliminate pests, were faring better than normal farms with only fifteen percent of their crop lost to weather and hazardous pests, vice the normal thirty-five percent of the average farm. Namikaze fields would be able to provide enough rice to meet their personal needs, provide excess to the homeless shelter, and sell ten percent of the harvest at the market. The dried husks, which were also converted to provide ash for his own forge, were also pressed into logs for stoves and hearths (using bamboo rolls lined with tea leaves) and reduced to also make rice paper and scrolls. The yams and corn were coming in nicely as well. There was a smaller greenhouse closer to the main house and by the servant's quarters that grew fruits and sweet produce all year round.

Earlier in the year, he'd gotten tips on raising livestock by hanging out with Shikamaru and their family herds. In a small pen, he had domestic pigs for pork and some cows for beef and milk. In a few years, if things held up, he could be largely self-sufficient for a small clan. The dozen extra Kitsune helping did not hugely impact his expenses, not that anything did with the family seal business and he hadn't been able to really get his hands around his full inheritance yet. About the only hiccup, that he could see, was that he'd have to tackle that Land of Whirlpools issue Kyuubi mentioned after he was done with graduation.

That was a molehill for another day.

For now, he laid comfortably with his head in Hinata's lap, her fingers running idly through his golden hair. Looking up he noticed that she'd taken her bulky coat off and he could just make out her nose from under the curve of her developing chest. It was an inspiring sight.

Reaching up to lay his hand on top of hers resting on his chest, he drew her thoughts back down to the roof and away from the stars… or wherever they were.

"Hnn?" She sounded almost dazed.

"Everything okay? Don't tell me you're nervous about Monday's planning exercise." She laughed it off, a nervous giggle that made his chest feel lighter.

"O-Oh, no. I know that you and Shika will lead us to v-victory."

Naruto smiled liking that her stutter had almost disappeared around him.

"I was thinking to our life together after graduation."

Her eyebrows knitted together just a bit puckering the flesh above the graceful bridge of her dainty nose. Naruto found that it distinctly did not suit her.

"You see problems on the horizon? Once you're sixteen, I'm legally taking you from those evil bastards!" She smiled, his concern touching her heart.

"You say that now but Ino is far prettier than I am and she's developing just like I am." Naruto grimaced.

"Only one woman in this world for me. You know that Hinata. Besides, your chest is bigger than hers." Naruto reached up and stroked a finger along the sloping curve of her left breast and she gave a sharp intake of air, her face flushing a healthy shade of red. With a devilish look in her eyes, she regained control and calmly pushed his hand back down to his own chest.

"And what of the CRA? What if I can't give you enough children? I don't want to be the cause of your clan dying out." She brought up what he knew to be a painful memory. "You remember how my mother died, yes?"

It was a rhetorical question, but he nodded anyway. She had shared the story of her mother passing in childbirth after Hanabi was born. Many in her family called her a clone of her mother and that resemblance chipped away at the back of her mind. What if she were fated to die the same way?

"Are you telling me to get a second wife?" He looked incredulous. "I will never cheat on you!" Her hands gently cupped his cheeks and her smile showed the depths of her happiness that he loved her to make such a proclamation.

"It's not cheating Naruto-kun if I'm the one proposing the solution." Naruto tried to shake his head, but she held him fast. "Don't decide today. Just consider it." She waved to the mostly unused lands around them.

"We have a chance to build something good here, something built on love." She cupped his face again. "Let's not ruin that chance because we simply r-refuse to take every opportunity given to us. Despite being a barbaric law, the CRA will let us build a strong clan."

He started to protest again but she cut him off with a frantic hitch in her voice highlighted by her moistening eyes. Curse the dreaded Puppy Eyes No Jutsu.

"Just promise me you'll _consider_ it!"

He didn't have it in him to argue it more. The ghost of her mother took the steam right out of him and the thought of losing her in childbirth was a very real fear. Could he do any better with a constant reminder of his lost wife as Hiashi had? From what few pictures she had of the woman they could almost be sisters but did that mean they shared similar issues that lead to her death after giving birth to Hanabi?

He didn't forgive the man, but that kind of loss could change you. It could eat away at your soul.

Naruto kissed her hands and held them to his chest as he looked up into her pale eyes… with the occasional glance and wiggling eyebrows at her chest to lighten the mood.

He tried very hard not to choke when Tamami (and less Tatsua) trotted up (in chibi fox form) and cheerfully offered their bodies to rebuild his clan. He remembered what they looked like in the shower or, more recently, in the onsen. That kind of behavior couldn't be _normal_ for a handmaiden, could it?

~I I I~

* * *

Monday morning the team met at six to see what the training area had to offer. It was a gray dawn, low lying fog covered most of the far section of the enclosure. Scouting the eastern entrance showed four or five possible entrance points converging to three viable trails through area seventeen. They would need to monitor those to have enough warning for placement.

Additionally, they would need to counter the Inuzuka's nose and ears. He was their opponent's only real sensor compared to both Shino and Hinata on Shika's team, with Naruto as a backup. Still, without a way to muzzle the dog-nin, it made ambush difficult. It also made surveillance and information gathering a challenge. And you couldn't forget the nin-ken. True, Naruto had his own, but they weren't defending; they were attacking and that meant Akemaru didn't have to do more than hang out, eat dog biscuits, and bark an occasional alarm.

Placement of and the striking of the trap had several options once these obstacles were overcome. They just couldn't do anything until they identified the high-value target. Attacking before then could flush out the target just as easily as it could give an organized team the chance to supply a fake in the confusion and escape in the mayhem. That worry ended, however, when a small bug landed on Shino's finger and he boldly (for Shino) announced that Sakura was playing the part of a visiting dignitary, so she could stay close to Sasuke, their anointed leader and designated final line of defense.

Naruto burst out laughing. It was so like the Last Uchiha to pander to his own colossal ego.

"At least they are predictable," Shikamaru mumbled before turning to Shino with a questioning look the bug user quickly picked up on and was more than happy to supply an answer for.

"I planted one of my allies on the Botugawa female last Friday before the end of class and she followed them through the finalizing of their organization. On a whim, she stayed during their evening planning phase."

He pointed to the middle break in the tree line. "They're planning to enter there with Sakura in the center of a defensive formation... of sorts. Two of the larger males are going to alternate carrying her as they sprint through the training area. Their plan is to move quickly alternating in a zig-zag pattern until they reach the farthest end. Using a lightning-fast attack, they plan to end the exercise in less than ten minutes without a single loss. They ended their planning session and Sasuke has no intention of doing any further group planning believing we will be unable to stop them due to their superior force. Why? Because they find us inconsequential and believe we will not be able to deter them due to their overpowering force."

The entire Aggressor Force scowled after his report.

"Sasuke is more than willing to sacrifice team members to meet his mission objective." Shikamaru grimaced. Such tolerance for team member sacrifice was unacceptable. They would all keep that in mind if Sasuke ever led a team with any of them on it.

Shino looked at Shikamaru with disbelief clearly plastered all over his face.

"They are completely unaware of Naruto's abilities. In fact, they seemed almost dismissive despite continuous data to support him as a viable threat. The rest of us they consider beneath their notice. Miss Botugawa slept in today and was still abed when my ally returned to me. They are planning to meet hereafter lunch to walk through the training area just once."

Shikamaru and the entire aggressor squad were speechless considering there were another four planning days before the Saturday exercise. The hubris of Sasuke and his team was staggering - their assault team was being discounted as inconsequential.

Once they flashed through shock, disbelief, outrage, and passed on to simmering anger, they set to work planning the main series of ambush points plus two more contingency plans in case the defenders changed their plans once things went to hell.

Lazy though he was, Shikamaru was determined to make them pay for this insult. They were also determined to observe the escort team if the enemy was going to be so brazen. Ninjas did sneaky stuff and spied all the time so why should Naruto's team be any different?

By early afternoon, their plans were fleshed out and rehearsed. The team broke up before lunch and retreated to a safe distance to observe the defenders, who arrived precisely at one o'clock. Shikamaru, Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Choji, and Shino watched them stroll through the training area in a loose gaggle, noting the two boys that stayed near Sakura and where Kiba hung out near the front. Roughly forty minutes later, the defenders broke up with much cheering and applause before meandering home. They would not return to the training ground again before the actual exercise much to the heated annoyance of the Aggressor Team.

This only drove the whole team to push that much harder; they absolutely would not lose to Sasuke's band of narcissistic primadonnas.

By the end of the day, Shikamaru was putting his team through its paces, using Naruto's clones to mirror what they'd seen the other team do during their walkthrough, in order to refine all of their attack plans.

They would also use Naruto's clones over the next two days to run different variations of the defender team's plans and, once those were contained, they let the clones loose to do whatever they wanted, all of it set through touch-only contact to simulate a hit or kill just at real-life speeds. Clones would yell, "Bang!" to simulate munitions or create clones to simulate killed hostiles (all of the clones used henges to resemble opposing team members).

Hinata and Ino enjoyed killing the Sakura clone whenever the opportunity presented itself. They enjoyed it so much that the clones started doing rounds of _Janken_ to select the next "unfortunate" pink-haired victim. Their "moment of silence to the soon-to-be departed" only produce more anime-style sweatdrops from the observing Aggressor Team as the two females plotted its next grisly death.

By the third and final day, the clones were completely off-script, and, much to Shikamaru's surprise, he realized that he thoroughly enjoyed wargaming. They even pulled in the clones afterward to discuss their ideas and talk through evaluations point-to-point. The group was learning firsthand how devious Naruto could be since these clones were just copies of himself with a much smaller lifespan and considerably less inhibition regarding their actions. And not all of the clones saw eye-to-eye on everything providing multiple runs with various deviations to broaden the horizon of the entire group.

More than once team members heard Shikamaru mutter that he was glad Naruto was going to be a Leaf shinobi, something the rest of the team enthusiastically agreed with.

The fact that the clones enjoyed simulated trapping and could "bondage up" one of the girls with surprising speed brought interesting looks to the female faces of the group. The three other males chose to tactfully not comment on the development or their usually blushing faces.

Ino also saw how much utility you could get from a clone when they found her pounced on one slobbering the hapless replica with kisses until he was dizzy with euphoria. Hair a tangled mess, she dispelled the clone with a quick kunai jab to its chest while trying to look as innocent as possible… with little success.

"Umm… what?" she asked a little too sweetly.

Naruto paled once the clone's memories hit him. He couldn't help but remember how nice she smelled, how well she kissed, and how soft her breasts were as the clone pawed her happily much to Ino's whimpering contentment. Naruto was so distraught at the copy's perverted nature, he begged Hinata to forgive his clone and pleaded with her for cuddle time to wipe the memory from his brain, to which she later happily complied.

~ III ~

"Hnh."

Naruto paused right before stepping through the door on his way to the schoolhouse for their final brief to the observers. Kneeling and hunched over the coffee table with two opposing stacks of books and hordes of partially rolled scrolls was Tamami, her brow wrinkled in furious concentration.

"Whatcha... um... up to Tama-chan? Anything I can spare a clone or two to help with?"

She didn't even look up from her growing piles of red-inked scribbles as the gorgeous Kitsune, long silky hair tied up in a bun to keep it out of her face, before waving him off with a distracted grunt of refusal.

"Well... I'm gonna go then..." His words trailing off to die in the growing silence.

"Pfft! She won't even tell me what she's doing so good luck with that." Tatsua's usual snark no longer affected him but he did flicker his gaze her way to take in the completely relaxed woman lounging with one leg draped casually over the other.

"Okay then..." he offered one last time as he opened the door.

Another distracted grunt gave him leave to depart. So he did despite his growing confusion.

~ III ~

The group wrapped up the drills and retired to the schoolhouse for their final pre-brief. The Defending Team took exactly an hour to get through their defensive plan so, at exactly one hour and ten minutes...

"…and, in conclusion, that summarizes our top three courses of action and our first four contingency plans based on enemy reactions to hostile engagement." The veil gradually dissolved and the genjutsu generated darkness lifted. The now full auditorium, complete with representatives from council leads and all supporting organizations rose to their feet for a round of raucous approval. True that the Uchiha was the village favorite but that brief was impressive, enough so to keep the entire audience awake. The chibi animations dying horrific simulated deaths were equally impressive and provided the necessary comic relief with crossed eyes, hanging tongues, and horrible acting skills.

A spirited round of questioning ensued with several instructors approaching the group to figure out how the holographic brief was developed and controlled. Many eyebrows rose at the mention of their genjutsu resident, Uzumaki Naruto. Kurenai grinned in the background and she couldn't even be considered his sensei yet. She was ecstatic even if it meant fending off another round of _rock-paper-kunai_ from Kakashi.

As the Q&A session wound down, Iruka sensei made the final announcement.

"Well done team, well done. Now, as it was with the previous team, and in order to prevent stolen information from these briefs being passed on to opposing teams by outside parties, you will all be sequestered at an undisclosed location overnight for the night under ANBU guard. The previous briefing team is already safely tucked away." He motioned to a cluster of ANBU waiting nearby.

"Each ANBU here will escort you home to pack what you need and then you'll be taken to your secret hideaway spot for the night where you can rest up for tomorrow's main event."

Shocked at the late change of plans, they nodded and headed off to gather provisions. Naruto wasn't worried as he had packed his provisions for this exercise earlier in the week, even checking them twice a day to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He would, however, need to send a message to the Twins to let them know.

Tamami was less than thrilled bemoaning the loss of her favorite body pillow. When he asked about her secret project seeing as he recognized his current stack of school texts in the smaller pile, she waved it away saying they could discuss what she'd learned once he was home for the weekend. The added security was annoying but not much more than that.

Given how poorly his Kyuubi secret had been kept, Naruto couldn't blame Iruka for the added lockdown effort.

Naruto did have a brief opportunity to at least explain the change of plans while packing up a night bag for the evening (his tactical gear was stowed nicely in scrolls for tomorrow). Tamami wished him well and assured him that she would let the staff know what was going on. Some of the newer girls were going to be disappointed as they were looking forward to helping their new lord relax in the onsen. Naruto grinned sheepishly and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek only for it to turn into a flailing tangle of lips and arms when Tamami turned her head at the last second to ambush him. After a sloppy scramble, he managed to break away (by clutching at her overly sensitive and ticklish ribs) and rejoin his ANBU escort, Tatsua firmly entrenched around his neck.

In the whisper of a _Body Flicker_, the two vanished only to appear in the Hokage's garden. So far it was only Choji, Shika, and Naruto… oh, wait, there's a dizzy Shino now. The ANBU vanished shortly after arrival.

Shika lazily waved and explained that they'd be camping out in the Hokage's back yard. Motioning to a low-lying table with platters of food being arrayed by Sarutobi Clan servants, it appeared that they would be well-provided for, meaning that Choji was ecstatic. A small ring of stones had already been used to start a campfire and they had plenty of wood to get them through the evening.

A servant appeared and motioned for them to follow along, leading the boys through the house and to an indoor onsen and bath where they could freshen up while waiting for the girls to join them. Able to soak and destress with fresh towels and robes in hand, the four scrubbed away the day's grime and settled into a relaxing hot water steaming. The conversation was light, almost apathetic as they joked about the surprises in store for their opponents, all of them looking forward to the outcome and the surprised look on Sasuke's face when they lost. None of them entertained the thought of defeat.

Naruto wanted this most of all.

Before long, a male servant entered informing them that the girls were requesting a chance to freshen up, and, with hurried apologies, the boys leaped out to change places. No sooner had they cleared out than the servants switched places and the girls eagerly sought out the relaxing soak before the big day, a pensive look on Hinata's face as she entered the hot bath.

Shrugging off their clothes, the two kunoichi hopefuls scrubbed and soaked the day's grunge away, Ino noting out of the corner of her eye the advanced curves belonging to the Hyuuga Princess bobbing near the water's surface. Slipping into the warm waters of the onsen, she let out a frustrated sigh, her head leaned back along the tiled edge of the water, and eyes tightly shut.

"Something wrong, Ino?"

When the blonde brought her face down and glanced at Hinata she had to stifle a laugh. The heiress had her arms crossed in front of her conservatively c-cup chest and was watching the blonde with some concern. Ino chuffed out another sigh and dejectedly looked down at her own chest, a full cup size more or less than the Hyuuga Princess as if she were doomed to be as flat as Sakura forever.

"Why would he ever want me when he has you." Hinata blinked in surprise. "I mean just look at you. You're already built like a woman!" Hinata's face broke out into a full blush. Something cold and wet pressed on her shoulder and Hinata glanced back to see Tatsua looking at her expectantly. She knew the Kitsune's secret and could guess what she was implying. Mustering her courage, the young Hyuuga decided it was time to make good on her prodding Ino towards the Namikaze heir.

"He is going to need more than me to rebuild his clan, you know this… yes?"

Ino wasn't as dense as many young (hormonal) guys hoped she was, something crass about blondes and lower rates of intelligence. She was working on becoming a psychologist and had the mental pedigree to prove it. Her academy marks weren't half bad either. Now if you asked her later in life if she thought the Hyuuga was "off her meds" during this conversation, she'd be hard-pressed to disagree.

Not many women, if any that she knew of, would willingly share a catch like the Uzumaki. He was gorgeous in that rugged out-doors way, built like a lion, and powerful. She looked up the Uzumaki clan and they were a powerful one back in the founding of Konoha, so he had pedigree papers to go with it.

Ino lifted her hand in the half-ram seal and yelled, "Kai!" Hinata chuckled.

"It's not genjutsu. It's simple math and genetics. My mother died in childbirth and I cannot guarantee that the same fate isn't waiting for me. I don't want Naruto's clan to struggle like mine is with two heirs and an army of ancient elders haggling over their fate until we're old spinsters." She drifted closer and rested her hands on Ino's shoulders, her perky breasts once more floating to the top of the water (which Ino discovered to her eternal annoyance was why she was holding them down).

"I want him happy and secure in his family, but I need to know something first. I need the truth from you." She looked the girl in the eyes and, at very close range, activated her family doujutsu. The effect was chilling on the platinum blonde. "And yes, I will know if you lie."

Ino gulped audibly.

"What do you want from him? Why are you so keen to be with him?"

Ino thought long and hard considering the merits of a quick lie, her nervousness fading to a dreamy stare looking off at something far away. In the end, she decided on brutal honesty.

"At first, it was just physical desire. I mean… _look_ at him… at that bod." Her face blushed and she lowered her eyes to the water. "So, I started paying closer attention to him and I saw it." Hinata tilted her face up again from the water.

"It?"

Ino nodded.

"Yeah, _it_. That _'it'_ that makes him different. He is straight forward and earnest. He has a big heart for those that he cares for and a good man is hard to find in our world." She looked deep into Hinata's eyes without flinching. "And he loves you so very much and I want that! Even if it's just a little bit, every girl wants that kind of love. If you asked him to, he would fight an army for you."

Ino wrapped her arms around herself. "There was never anything like that waiting for me with Sasuke and any other boys I've talked to just see a pretty face with a nice pair of legs they'd like to undress. I want more than that. I _deserve_ more than that."

Hinata nodded and released her Byakugan, moving back over to the other side of the pool.

"But that isn't meant for me, is it?"

Hinata turned back very confused.

"Why would you say that?"

"Feh! Have you seen the way he used to look at me? It was like I was a walking plague. Until recently he couldn't see me without anger in his eyes."

"You said, 'until recently...' so you've noticed a change then?"

Ino thought about it for a minute then nodded. "That change isn't enough though. You've won and he's out of my reach." Ino sighed again.

"Don't be so sure about that." Hinata grinned at the dripping blonde but Ino was puzzled and later left the onsen a very confused girl. Dare she hope? Could she?

They found themselves seated around a banquet feast, laughing, joking, and generally trying to eat enough before Choji inhaled it all.

"You worried Naruto?" (Choji)

"Of course I am, Choji! We can't plan for everything and I still have a hard time believing Sasuke is dumb enough to keep to his _very well-thought-out _plan." If the scoffing wasn't enough of a clue, his dripping sarcasm should have been. Choji shared a nervous chuckle but was secretly impressed at the boy's calm.

"Still, I look forward to the successful completion of our preparations. Why? Because we have thoroughly considered multiple contingency plans to limit-."

"Yeah, I agree, Shino." Shikamaru lifted a glass of juice in a toast by way of his gentle interruption trying to keep the normally silent nin-in-training from overexerting himself, his smirk showing the Nara was unaffected by the slight tightening of the bug user's irritated forehead.

"I am proud of what you've all accomplished, especially you Naruto." The startled students leaped to their feet rushing into awkward bows for their Hokage.

"Hehe, you embarrass me, Jiji." Shika elbowed the taller boy for his disrespect. _He was their freaking leader for freaking sakes!_ The Hokage laughed it off.

"Never you fear Shikamaru-kun. Naruto and I go back many years and his name for me is one for family. Naruto has been part of my family practically since birth." They all relaxed but the Nara still shot one final glare at Naruto that said _'Show some freakin' respect.'_

Naruto shot back a crappy grin that all but screamed, _'Make me!' _

The old man sat around the table with his pipe in hand, motioning them to do the same.

"Tell me, what do you believe your chances at victory to be tomorrow?" Shikamaru wanted to play it cautiously but Shino was considerably less reserved feeling an unusual need to validate his opinion.

"Should the Uchiha team, and it is very much his team, stick to their hastily-cobbled plan, victory is within our grasp. Why? As it stands, our leadership has planned for a number of plausible contingencies, therefore, I believe we are in good hands." With a firm nod of his head, Shino reached for more dango and punch to help replenish lost chakra from today's practice runs.

"Indeed. I must say that I found your drills today quite entertaining. That was a most skillful use of bunshin, Naruto." Naruto bowed his head to hide his blush. "I wonder why the lackluster preparations of your opponents. Surely they know you will try harder due to your number disadvantage."

Shikamaru scoffed.

"I am sure they expect it. They just don't care." He bit into an apple and huffed in irritation. "They've consistently underestimated us, and they'll pay for that tomorrow." The entire group bristled with resolve. "Especially that _Uchiha_."

Somewhere across town, Sasuke sneezed violently eliciting much concern from his gaggle of fans.

The Hokage chuckled. "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay with me and I look forward to the fruits of your labors. Sleep well students. You will need to be at your best." He rose and shuffled away to happy farewells.

"Get some sleep guys. Tomorrow is a busy day." They each ambled off to their sleeping bags. It was going to be a comfortable night under the stars and the onsen soak had eased the tension from their bodies. Although excited, there was no apprehension, no manic jitters.

At some point in the night, Naruto awoke to Hinata slipping into his sleeping bag, her body grinding up against his as she got comfortable. Fighting a nosebleed, he kissed her on the forehead and squeezed her body up against his chest.

"I missed you to, Hinata-chan." Hinata slipped her knee between his legs and received a nervous cough in return. She grinned and snuggled further into his shoulder and slipped into a deep slumber.

Naruto, on the other hand, got exactly no sleep with her chest expanding and contracting against his stomach. Needless to say, the morning found him cranky enough to take on the defending squad single-handedly. Hinata smirked but whispered into his ear a promise to help ease his suffering later.

_**At Training Area Seventeen…**_

Five in the morning came and went. By the time the bells tolled half past the hour, the aggressor team was stationed near a large clearing. A small pond ringed by large stones hung near the far edge of the opening. If Sasuke's team followed their planned route, they would end up here about four minutes after the exercise started. With a signal from Shikamaru, the group scattered to their assigned stations.

Ten minutes later Naruto received his first message.

~oOOo~

Sasuke looked proudly around his group as they prepared to take off at their observers start command. Sakura was dressed in a light kimono to symbolize her status as the Daimyo's daughter being escorted back from a dignitary affair to the capital of Fire Country. Fire country was represented by the Fire Country flag planted at the stopping point located at the other end of the training area. As they assumed their pre-arranged positions, the ANBU instructor counted down from ten.

"Nine." The fangirls began fawning over their fearless leader.

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Six." Kiba took his place at the head of the column.

"Five." Sakura climbed onto the back of her lead escort.

"Four."

"Three." Sasuke raised his left hand into the air.

"Two." They all crouched ready to spring.

"One."

"Zero."

Sasuke yelled, "Go!" and they bolted into the forest exactly has planned.

As the last member of the team flew by leaping into the branches in tight formation, a bird chirping in the upper branches, like so many others, pecked its plumage a little too hard and vanished in a puff of smoke.

~oOOo~

At that exact moment, a figure cloaked in traditional ninja garb (think every hooky B-grade ninja movie you've seen minus the ones with large mutated amphibians) except for his stunning blue eyes, turned to an identically-dressed ninja with a lighter shade of blue and said, "They are on the way."

The ninja standing behind the brush next to the pond nodded. "Give the signal to get ready," before he vanished next to the tree blending perfectly with the bark.

The ninja standing next to him calmly took out a kunai, spun it quickly in his hands before stabbing it into his chest and vanishing in a puff of smoke that drifted off with the breeze.

~oOOo~

The Uchiha was beside himself with pride. His plan was flawless. He was flawless. His group, while hopeless without his brilliant leadership, was performing exactly as intended, which meant that they were equally flawless - _for the time being_. He'd kept their directions simple so there would be no complications or missed assignments. He'd kept their evasion-based path simple, even going so far as to clearly mark the trees so his pointer (Kiba) could follow without issue. He'd even forbidden individual action so that rash decisions could not interfere with his simple, perfect plan.

The Uchiha are the elite.

The Uchiha never fail.

They do, from time to time, fail to notice key signs when preening hence the failure to notice the slowly disappearing wildlife, a squirrel here, a rabbit there, until they hit the halfway point where they would stop and switch out carriers for the high-profile escort.

There was no sign of the opposition, obviously stunned into inaction by their lightning-fast performance. His plan was executing perfectly.

Until it wasn't.

~oOOo~

In select hiding places, clones shadowing their assigned team members whispered, "Phase One" before sinking into the ground.

Once the defenders landed and began the escort switch, the first carrier turning over to ease protesting muscles - this was the first time they'd actually done this, and his muscles were cramping - pandemonium struck. Having made no contingency plans for what to do if the enemy attacked during this phase, everyone in the defender squad turned at the same time to their leader for orders as their perfectly executed plan turned to absolute crap.

Twenty-two pairs of hands reached up through the dirt and clamped on to tired, lead-filled legs and tugged once. As twenty-two very surprised guards sunk into the ground, twenty-two ninjas wearing campy Halloween style ninja costumes leaped up from the ground simultaneously whispering, **"**_**Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!"**_ as they phased out of the ground leaving twenty-two confused and very panicked students buried up to their necks in the earth. They each crouched down while Sasuke, Kiba, and Sakura stood there confused and immobile, to draw red lines across their throats with special training kunai made to spill bright red ink.

The message was clear. "_Congratulations! You are now dead."_

Sasuke yelled for Kiba to converge on their location and rushed to grab Sakura, something that made her squeal in bliss as much as it made his skin crawl in revulsion. He could still win this if they moved fast enough. The only problem was that he couldn't move yet he didn't know why.

"_**Kagemane no Jutsu**__, _success!" He couldn't see the source but the voiced sounded nearby. _If he could just break free!_

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kiba running, slowing to a walk, staggering, then falling over. A few seconds later a large mass of bugs lifted from his body and flew off into the brush not far from where the dog nin had originally landed at the head of the formation. He saw Shino step out of the underbrush as the mass of bugs swarmed back into his sleeves.

"_**Shinranshin no Jutsu!" **_ (Ino)

He had to break this jutsu. He was an Uchiha! It was his destiny to win! His eyes bulged when he saw his high-value escort turn and calmly walk away. What's worse was he couldn't even turn his head to yell at her to stop.

"_**Bubun Baika no Jutsu!"**_ (Choji)

He heard another voice whisper out, "Ha!" and then another very similar voice whisper, "I have her."

As his gurgle of absolute frustration ripped from his lips, a dozen hard plastic items peppered his body from all sides leaving bright pink stains all over his clothes. It even felt like one hit him in the crotch!

Two aggressors dressed in identically shoddy ninja outfits walked around into his view and all he could see behind their cheap ninja masks and hoods were the same pair of smiling blue eyes. He wanted to punch them both. Punch them right in their smug, smiling faces. They didn't release him until the Hokage and observers came out to signal the end of the exercise.

From the looks on the faces of the Jounin observers and the Council members, people were shocked and expecting more from the defending team. The Council members were half-heartedly congratulating the aggressor team clearly unsure how to process these turns of events.

"Ah, let us return to the auditorium and debrief this first run and see if we can understand what happened leading up to today's exercise." The Hokage had a smile creeping into the corners of his eyes.

Sasuke was livid. It didn't get any better when he saw Jackal passing Iruka a wad of Ryu, the latter with a huge smirk on his face. He said not a word in his righteous anger as he furiously plotted the dobe's death at his elite hands.

Once the defenders were dug out of the ground and everyone was seated, Iruka asked for the defending team to assess the exercise from their viewpoint. Their efforts were lackluster, clearly not wanting to relive their failure.

"Clearly we underestimated the skills of our opponents." Kiba was clearly depressed as a medic-nin pumped chakra into his body to fully revive him. Another member of his team chuffed in agreement. Sasuke was shooting daggers at his teammates for their obvious failure to live up to his exacting standards.

Sakura filled in the missing dots now that she had her closed tenketsu points reopened. She felt that was unnecessary on Hinata's behalf and those finger jabs really hurt.

"We assumed an expanded diamond formation with our one sensor at point counting on our speed and his nose to pick up the opposing team before we got into real trouble. We were planning to dispatch interceptor squads to stall the aggressor team, so the escort could make it to safety." She stretched a bit as chakra began to circulate through her brain again. "Clearly we were mistaken on several counts." Her murderous glare did little to remove the grins from the small aggressor team.

Given that the remaining team was finding more interesting things to stare at on the auditorium floor, Shikamaru offered to give their part of the debrief. The instructors were clearly disappointed at the group of sore losers but that sour mood changed to rapt attention when Naruto fired off the last seal of his veil technique and brought the training area up in vivid color. Sakura, along with many of her teammates, took note of the floating three-dimensional display and felt anemic looking back on their very pedestrian mission briefing tools.

"We started our planning session by laying out possible scenarios the defending squad might take." The illusion faded and blended into a smaller version of the auditorium with chibi aggressors around a war table. Numbered alternatives appeared sequentially above the group with names for each plan. Everyone took note that there were a good number of them.

"We were going to narrow down likely strategies," several of the listed options developed red lines through them, flashed once, then vanished leaving five on the list, "until the defending squad showed up and walked through their plan from beginning to end." The planning table image flickered back to the training area with the aggressor team standing on a rooftop across the street. A chibi group of defenders appeared at one end and began bouncing from the entrance to the middle of the area by the pond where they switched carriers before continuing.

"From there it was easy to narrow down our focus to counter their strategy." The list of strategies beeped and one in the middle glowed white while the other four faded some but didn't vanish altogether. "We held on to the other plans that made the cut assuming they would alter their strategy at the last minute." Chibi aggressors appeared in multiple locations around the defenders then the defenders began dying one after another, red "x's" appearing in their eyes as they fell over one at a time. Some even got buried up to their necks, eyes "x'd" and tongues hanging out.

The crowd chuckled much to Sasuke's growing ire and frustration.

"We set traps for our contingency plans and returned to countering their trial run as our primary objective, altering the plan based on group input and what we knew of the opposing force." The chibi aggressor team began pointing at different areas in the illusionary training field, appearing to have a serious debate and then shaking hands in agreement after the odd lightbulb went off above one of their heads.

"We just assumed they would be easier to engage once they'd burn off a little chakra and planned to take them out at the center. Our goal was to isolate and immobilize so that we could capture and later interrogate for information about enemy force strengths. Doton Jutsus were very helpful here." A chibi Choji grabbed the chibi high-value escort lifting a robed figure above its head and the rest shook hands or raised fists above their heads in victory. The display faded then the lights returned.

Sasuke was beside himself at the higher technology in the dobe's brief. He felt physically ill and wanted to throttle someone, anyone on his team for their failure in supporting him. They should have known his needs and anticipated better. _Where was his Genjutsu brief?!_

Sakura was livid. "You spied on us! CHEATERS!" Shikamaru's group looked at each other before turning back to her in all her righteous rage. Then Shikamaru shrugged inconsequentially.

"We're ninjas. We were told we couldn't spy on you when you were planning out your strategies away from the training grounds. No one said anything about staying away from the range and observing from a distance."

The defending team looked to the Chunin instructors who merely shrugged their shoulders as if to agree.

"It's not our fault you guys felt the need not to plan for contingencies or build in back up plans." Before more grousing could ensue, Iruka moved the conversation along.

"Your plan worked perfectly Shikamaru. Well done." Shikamaru only smiled and pointed to Naruto.

"It's not my plan. It was his." Naruto deflected when Shikamaru thumbed his way.

"It was our entire group's effort. I just supplied the shadow clones and the earth jutsu. Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Ino, and Shino had their clan techniques that helped make information gathering and subdual of the enemy forces easy and we stuck to our plan based on the information we had so long as it remained valid. Of course, we laid contingency plans in case things changed."

Naruto looked to the defender team. "I would like to try some of the other options if you guys are still up to it. We'd like to switch out team leads to give our team members experience and pull the med nins more into this for their benefit. As an incentive, Choji has asked his folks to provide a barbeque," he motioned to the Akimichis sitting in the audience waving and smiling, "…once this is all done."

While the idea of being creamed again was not appealing, the defenders liked that they could set a new strategy since Sasuke was clearly not interested in more training. The cookout after was also a nice touch.

In addition to losing the survival exercise to that pathetic loser Uzumaki, Sasuke was equally distraught at not being able to unseat Naruto in the ring or on the target range. Sasuke was not a happy boy and Sakura was beside herself for his sake.

The survival exercise didn't change much about the way Naruto was perceived beyond shinobi circles, but it did make an improvement in the amount of respect garnered by his peers. While Sasuke repeatedly showed little interest in making multiple runs through the course after their initial catastrophe, and thereby Sakura didn't either since she did little else without Sasuke's approval, the remainder of the class swallowed their pride and agreed to return to the course for some of the additional runs with the aggressor force's support. This turned into the successful group exercise Iruka had envisioned.

The first run ended so quickly (and with such finality) that the medic nins didn't get the practice they'd hoped for. With the additional four runs, especially when the Jounin observers offered to trial the course and the barbeque moving up to after the second alternative run thereby vastly improving morale after two more losses, all of the traps and casualty scenarios unloaded turning the peaceful training ground into a mini-war.

Medics were frantically trying to keep up with everything from grazed abrasions (pretend slash marks highlighted by neon pink marker dye) to eviscerations and amputations (all simulated by shadow clone of course). When the night began to fall, the flash bangs and training tags added enough realism that even seasoned veterans began to get into the event and take their chances in the course giving the defenders a chance to be aggressors for a change. Shikamaru and his team were running on fumes by the end of the day, so it turned to the never-tiring Naruto and his army of shadow clones to keep the trap resets and runs going.

This received a raucous round of applause from the observers and other training units.

When all was said and done, Shikamaru's team all received top marks for the event and Naruto received instructor credit for the course design, complete with a B-rank mission pay voucher. _The Gauntlet_, as it was affectionately dubbed, from that day forward became an official part of the graduating curriculum.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N:** And yes, I did totally create what I believe to be the first Shinobi PowerPoint brief.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** I am honored and touched by the wealth of comments and feedback to this story. You hear it often enough but reviews really do feed the muse, as it were.

Welcome to my small corner of FFN Banjo!

For those new to my style of storytelling, please note that my tales take time to develop and not everything you read will end the way it may currently appear to be or how you think it will end. While NOTSB is not nearly as filled with plot twists and turns as No More, it does have a few. More importantly, I am not a fan of Hiruzen and, to a lesser extent Kakashi, and I think he got away with more than his fair share in canon. While I will not blatantly bash them they will discover that the web of falsehoods they wove to justify their personal agendas is considerably less sturdy than they hoped they would turn out to be.

For those that read my original story, no spoilers as to how his fate ends, please. Let our newest members discover it as the story develops.

_~Siva'a_

~ I I I ~

* * *

**Chapter 17: Growing Pains**

~ I I I ~

* * *

A training area echoing with the all-day serenading of Cicadas gave way to the eerie silence of late night in the Clan District of Konoha. The Gauntlet ended far later than anyone expected leaving a weary Naruto to trudge home with an equally tired Tatsua perched comfortably around his neck. He couldn't even ask her to enjoy the almost hypnotic mating dance of fireflies lighting the less heavily wooded areas of their walk given the chirping wheeze that accompanied her normal sleeping habits.

Her gentle snores were cute though and reminded him that he was no longer alone even when he was away from other people.

Sorting through the memories of the clone squad escorting an equally fatigued Hinata to the gates of her own clan compound, Naruto released another burst of copies to secure the grounds of his own estate, lock the gates up, and check on the herds - a routine precaution ever since a small group of civilian brats from the high school thought it would be fun to prank the demon brat squatting on the Yondaime's _sacred ancestral home_.

He had to snort here seeing as his father had come from a civilian merchant clan not even from Hi no Kuni originally. Hell, his father was the last of his clan, sold their old digs in the posh northwest (far, far northwest) sector of Konoha's business district, and reworked his family fortune into including some fairly lucrative holdings both civvie and military in nature. There was nothing _ancestral_ about the Namikaze home, and the irony of it produced a vixen-stirring snort that required him to soothe her back into unconsciousness.

His grin only grew more evil remembering some of the more eye-opening documents filed away in his dad's study; he couldn't wait to let Konoha's business elite eat crow once he was old enough to take the Council seat.

Another hiccuping whistle distracted him just as he was wiggling out of his second sandal. _'Yeah, yeah, time for bed. I get it.'_

He could "hear" Kyuubi's giggle in the back of his mind, another surprisingly pleasant event - she'd been in his corner from day one, and that made him feel nearly indestructible. Nearly.

"Come on, Sua-chan," the vixen twitched at the nickname even in her sleep, "let's get you snuggled up next to... Tama-chan?"

The clearly-surprised rise in his voice drew Tatsua out of her comfortable snoozer with a brief snort as the Taichou's "Right Hand Gal" blinked from her eyes the remaining tendrils of mind-fogging slumber.

"Well, I suppose we should put her properly to bed, huh?" Naruto's spoken thoughts were spoken aloud as more of a statement to himself than a question to his companion but the results were the same as the drowsy vixen snorted her way to full awareness.

Sprawled out across the table amid discarded papers and upturned teacups lay a lightly snoring Tamami, her red pen still held aloft in her sleeping death grip. Naruto could only shake his head in concern at whatever had been commanding her attention over the past week lamenting his inability to offer more than a passing note of worry from deep within his class's now completed survival gauntlet.

Sighing as he maneuvered around the various low couches and recliners in the formal sitting room of his home (something that was getting easier to admit to himself as the days rolled on by), Naruto maneuvered until he was standing over the angelic figure of his other handmaiden so that he could gently rub her back hoping this didn't end in a fire-filled panic at being disturbed from a deep sleep.

Tamami's instincts usually involved fire when she was surprised and he had the scorched eyebrows - from time to time - to prove it.

Ignoring the gaping neckline of her usually pristine kimono wear (at least he was trying to ignore it), Naruto cooed her name while rubbing small circles across her shoulder blades.

"Tama-cha~~n..."

_Snort...snorkle... sniff..._"Ungh, N-Naruto?" Her voice with thick with drowsiness.

He tried not to laugh at the loose papers sticking to her golden cheeks through copious amounts of slobber. She was still incredibly pretty, by far the prettier of the two though he'd never admit that to Tatsua when she had weapons within easy reach.

Tatsua, though very attractive as well, was the far more athletic and _violent_ of the two.

"Yes *snicker* Tama-chan." He noted two things that made him stare at her heavily sleep-induced lack of awareness (and no, it isn't the fact that her rather large chest was falling out of her kimono front). First and foremost, Tamami was a beautiful Kitsune, and, even when drugged out of her mind by sleep, her golden eyes could easily captivate the new Kitsune male. Second, she was loopy when she got extremely tired and tended to drop the stuffy title, giggle quite a bit, tended to get very clingy and call him by name in a very affectionate manner when she was.

"Naruto!" It was a breathy sigh that made his stomach flutter with a heat that raced up to his neck. "I-I-I need to show you... look!" She was trying to sift through the scrolls and loose sheaves of paper on the table but didn't appear to have the mental acuity to find what she was looking for at the moment if the downturn of her cute eyebrows said anything about the situation.

"It's okay, Tama-chan. You can show me tomorrow, okay?" He gently peeled off the sheet sticking to her left cheek which prompted her to wipe her glazed face with one ink-stained sleeve. He tried not to wince at the writing inked on her cheek.

"Wai-wait!" Her hands were moving erratically through the piles. "I... know it's... just need a minute..."

Naruto squatted behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist to hug her back to his chest, a move that immediately stopped her short bout of mental wanderlust with immediately closing eyes, a heavy sigh of comfort, followed by a drawn-out moan for the deep warmth his position brought her.

"I promise I'll listen to everything tomorrow," he cooed into her ear.

Tamami shivered from the tips of her ears to the ends of her twitching tails. "Mmmmm, okay... Wait! No! Just one-."

She was starting to wake up and, if that happened, they'd all be up until the early hours and that was not something high on Naruto's agenda. As a result, he decided to play dirty even as his keen eyes caught a snickering Tatsua padding upstairs. _'Some help, you are,'_ he grumbled through the _Spirit Seal_ only to get a giggling retort in return.

"Wai-wai-wai-wait Narut-Oooooooooooooo!"

Naruto knew it was playing dirty but Tamami was a "cuddler" and he really wanted to go to sleep. Knowing some of her weak spots, he squeezed gently but firmly around her waist and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. Once he kissed her neck and started gently nibbling on that small tract of skin between the base of her supple neck where it merged with her slender trapezius, he knew it was over.

Tamami's body froze in place and her eyes fluttered closed. Once her tails snaked around his waist and her head tilted to the left to give him greater access, Naruto surged chakra to his limbs to lift her princess-style from the floor, her upper body rotating to wrap her arms around his neck as her head swung all the way around in the same direction to provide access to the other side of her neck and shoulder. Using his own tails to turn off lights, he made a single pass through the first floor of the home to make sure it was locked while placing chaste kisses along the now heated skin of her throat and neck before gliding smoothly but quickly up the stairs.

Thank Inari for his physical training and chakra reinforcement! Though he'd grown and finally broken the one-hundred-fifty-seven centimeter barrier this year, Tamami still had him by fifteen centimeters - and she was the shorter but curvier of the pair.

He had to admit to her determination though as she kept trying to explain what she'd discovered this week. In between the "Aaah!" and "Gukh!" sounds sputtering uncontrollably from her mouth and breaking up her drowsy sentences, she managed to get out something about his shinobi education about chakra being sabotaged and him needing to work hard between now and graduation.

He nodded and "hmmm'd" his agreement, the vibration of his voice making her body vibrate briefly, as he retreated to their shared bedroom, the master, and spent the next thirty minutes trying to soothe her enough so he could get ready for bed.

They'd deal with his chakra woes after a good night's sleep.

~ I I I ~

* * *

With only the graduation trap-survival exercise in the spring and now completed, lessons quickly returned to "advanced" academy ninjutsu, intra-hidden village politics, medium-contact sparring, and introductory training in combat with weapons beyond kunai and shuriken. The extra medical training during the advanced survival course spurred an off-shoot class for students with sufficient chakra control, which now included Naruto with his limiters engaged. By the end of the year, Naruto, Hinata, Ino and Sakura had mastered the medical diagnostic jutsu, chakra scalpels, and could heal minor cuts and abrasions.

With his near-perfect control (via limiters), his regular bunshins were perfect copies and he could produce anywhere from one to one thousand without seals and almost no smoke. By the time of the final exam, Naruto had trained hard enough that he could cast both regular bunshin and _Kage Bunshin_ jutsus so that the clones appeared at nearly the same time. The substitution he had mastered the previous year using _Kage Bunshins_, and they could swap out in a fight to remove him from a danger he couldn't see - provided they were paying attention.

His henge had two variants much like the Kitsune illusion and an actual shape change, the first very much an illusion that required a great deal more concentration to pull off (blurred edges, the illusion of solidity and mass, shadow casting, accuracy of representation and the ability to interact properly with the outside world, etc.), while his version incorporated a solid transformation. This latter version he used for his Orioke no Jutsu, which he finally named, and personal transformations, a lesser hybrid transformation which provided a solid body outer shell.

Need to be the opposite gender to sneak into a party or building? No problem. Need to be an animal to foil pursuers? Not an issue! He'd been using the solid transformation to avoid ANBU and angry citizens for years. How do you think he was able to shop for new clothes or buy groceries without being robbed blind?

No, Naruto's skills were improving along with his chakra control, and gradually, ever so gradually, he was becoming less reliant on his limiter seals. This, however, did not come without a great deal of pain, many hours of practice, and sacrifice on his part following Tamami's startling discovery that night leading up to the graduation survival exercise. It was a discovery that made all three of them gnash their teeth in impotent fury at a village dead set on ruining his chances of becoming a shinobi, even at the expense of his classmates and predecessors, if what she'd discovered in a bargain bookstore was an accurate indication.

Even worse was that it represented another undeniable shadow in the crumbling monument that represented his faith in the man he used to lovingly call Hokage-jiji.

Not one for conspiracy theories (despite wanting to be a ninja), Naruto was forced to re-evaluate his position the morning after he seduced a very groggy Kitsune vixen into bed for the sole purpose of sleeping (I know, it's sad but he's only twelve at this point; he's a horny pre-pubescent with no experience or training and his mind hasn't connected the dots yet between his handmaidens having a physical relationship with their Taichou... _yet_).

Tamami had been sorting through his school books to see if anything would be salvageable for addition to the house library after stumbling across what she believed were the textbooks of the estate's previous owners. Being the thorough Kitsune that she was, she compared the old to the new texts given the twelve-year gap in classes wanting to see how the curriculum had improved over the years - the older textbooks were very good and included a wealth of exercises for young shinobi. Much to her happy surprise, the texts and scrolls on ninjutsu from almost twenty-five years ago were a gold mine of techniques, much more than the "Academy Three" Naruto was calling the pitiful techniques he had been partially struggling with as she tried to break him of his dependency on Kitsune chakra to "skate by" in his final academy days.

What she found in those two-decade-plus references was disturbingly more detailed than the cheap books Naruto toted to and from the house every day and the differences first _shocked_ then _angered_ her.

Her first example came in the freshman level material on chakra control and the extensive list (and associated techniques of) E and D-ranked jutsus issued to Genin in the academy. The list included more than the crap-all useless _Bunshin_ as she read over the "Basic Three" followed immediately by the "Traveling Ten" and the "Essential Eight."

Naruto rightfully brushed those off as next to worthless for him saying (quite accurately) that his chakra control - aside from his Reika network - was downright atrocious and that he'd never learn let alone master those techniques without his limiter seals. Yes, he could and would learn them, but control over his human chakra, which was worsening by the day as his coils continued to surge and expand, would never make any of those techniques (interesting as they were) viable for him.

Tamami immediately agreed provided his chakra control stayed where it was, meaning beyond pitiful. Then she showed him the full array of chakra control exercises that spurred her hunt, beginning with the hateful Leaf Floating Technique he still couldn't do to an entire army of techniques before he was ever supposed to start thinking up-close and personal thoughts about fondling trees.

They were broken into stages (Core, Peripheral, Advanced, and Master stages) with the leaf exercise being near the middle of the second layer of control exercises. Walking up trees, despite being one of three common chakra control exercises discussed by instructors, didn't even pop up in his dad's book until the very end of the Peripheral control exercises. Water Walking started out the Master-level control series.

Core exercises were basic chakra detection through touch, principles of chakra molding, chakra expulsion (raw form surges), chakra flow management, introduction to sheathing (body reinforcement, introductory-level - crushing apples in one palm, lifting intermediate weight, short sprints, etc.), and principles of chakra attraction (Sticky Finger technique used to lift pencils and palm small objects).

To add insult to injury, he counted two in the Core group that were usable only by high-capacity chakra users and immediately wondered what happened to those techniques in between his parent's class and his own. Tamami answered that they were removed the year before he began the academy when she purchased used copies from second-hand stores to confirm her findings, one the year before it was announced he would be attending and then his own text from his first year. It was almost like the ninjutsu curriculum was tailored to make high-capacity ninjutsu students fail. There were at least three exercises in the first batch for helping high-capacity chakra students get a grip on their reserves so they could learn anything below a C-Rank Jutsu.

Well, that was a crappy way to start the day. Naruto felt it was so crappy, they had to pause as he ran out into the training yard behind the house and destroyed everything unmoving for a straight twenty-minute insanity break, which only got worse when he began questioning why and how something horrible like this could happen? Whole chapters had been removed from his first-year text for no apparent reason. This, despite his currently odd situation regarding the Sandaime Hokage and their slightly broken trust, led to him questioning why someone hadn't brought this up to the old man before.

It was a question that ultimately reminded him of the fact that the Hokage was responsible for the academy and the curriculum that it taught, meaning that he either knew about it but did nothing, knew about it and approved it, or was incompetent enough to have lost control of the entire academy. The realization was world-shifting for the soon-to-be Genin.

None of those revelations brought him comfort but they did bring an abrupt end to his property-obliterating rage. Thank Inari for the _Fuuinjutsu_ that kept everything on his property pristine otherwise Konoha's D-Ranked mercenaries would bleed his inheritance dry. He loved regenerative seals that cycled nature chakra repairing damage to the property, maintenance seals his family scribed that would repair the damage overnight. It meant any training would need to be non-kinetic while he waited, unfortunately, but it was great for blowing off steam.

It was probably for the best anyway given his current state of mind.

Once he was calm, they resumed their exploration of ancient history and immediately began retooling his personal training program once Tamami explained that, if he didn't get control of his human chakra, he'd never have the control to be competitive with anything other than Youkai; a highly skilled human - high Chunin and higher - apparently was a very real threat to Youkai, in general, and Kitsune, in particular. That meant that Kitsune had to be careful how they used their chakra to fight with and, short of the seven-tailed monsters running the clans, could not manage extensive use of destructive abilities for more than ten minutes in a straight fight.

He found all the hope he needed to combat that disturbing news in the books left behind by his parents.

Peripheral exercises built heavily on the Core exercise group. From the first Leaf Floating exercise, students moved on to Level II Sheathing techniques (crushing stone with a single hand) involving advanced movement (tree hopping, vertical and directional leaping, endurance chakra movement, pacing, and sprinting), intermediate chakra management and transfer skills (from person-to-person or person-to-object), chakra-enhanced physical training and biokinetics, using chakra to regulate major body systems and basic biological functions (to include self-induced hibernation or near-death states), and something promising called the Ghost Step technique (using chakra to cushion sound while moving), which was the precursor to tree walking - the final exercise of the group.

The Advanced techniques just made him drool as the thought of converting his own chakra into contact poisons using something called the "Sand Palm" or injecting chakra into another person with a palm strike or simple touch to explode their heart or destroy major organs sounded utterly badass. The entire second half of that section went into elemental chakra natures, four basic developing exercises each element, and included two D-Ranked jutsus for each of the primary elements he boasted having access to at the beginning of school.

The Master series started out with two C-Ranked elemental jutsus then went into obscure topics like Spirit and Nature chakra in addition to Kekkei Genkai (no techniques, unfortunately), so much so that there were three whole supplemental books to cover the material - books not available in school but his parents had purchased (and kept with notes in the margins).

If he was going to protect them, he'd need to get much stronger so that he could use both chakra networks - one for stealth and/or finesse and the other for straight raw firepower.

That meant he needed to learn ALL of the exercises and techniques that a Genin from his father's class needed to learn. If he was going to have to become earth-shatteringly powerful, then he'd need to do so without depending on his limiters. In addition, he'd need to push his _Reika_ network and either discover a way to convert human ninjutsu techniques into Kitsune versions or create his own powerful techniques that he could teach the Kitsune. He most definitely wouldn't master it all before graduation but he was determined to try like hell.

He may not have signed up to be the Taichou but he'd embrace that hat as well, and, if he was going to be a good Taichou, his Kitsune family wasn't going to remain low-hanging fruit on the violence ladder of evolution. He'd give the world a reason to respect them, or at least stop hunting vixens for sport because they feared them.

By the end of spring, Naruto had long exhausted everything the twins could teach him in the chakra arts and focused on mastering his human chakra network to prevent atrophy. He could master the E and D-ranked techniques once he could master all of the Peripheral exercises. All that remained was kenjutsu with Tatsua, something he'd been holding off on intentionally. It wasn't time for that and he still didn't feel like he had fully mastered the Kitsune fighting style. When he wasn't training in that with Tatsua, he was reading one of the few possessions he had from his mother, a book on Uzushiogakure's introductory _Fūinjutsu_.

Given what he'd seen of sealing in Konoha, most of Konoha's outdated knowledge must have come from Uzu and been heavily diluted for the general masses. As far as he could tell, the seal company he'd inherited simply mass-produced storage and explosive tags created by his family for the entire ninja world, doing business all across shinobi nations. Special orders were processed case-by-case (still a very lucrative profession).

The book in his hands covered storage, sealing, explosive, alarm, paralyzing, and modification seals with a number of simple modifications to adapt uses for each. The tome went into exhaustive detail walking the novice through the what, why, how, and where aspects of the art so that you knew what each swirl and divot meant in a seal, seal array, or complex seal matrix. It explained how elements, ciphers, arrays, and matrices interacted with each other and how you could script your own elements to obtain desired results vice pre-determined cookie-cutter seals the layman used daily. It was leagues ahead of the dated books he borrowed from the library.

And it all made perfect sense to him.

His favorite section came near the end of the book: _Seal Applications in Weapon Crafting_. Sooo many possibilities existed there.

Unfortunately, if he was to advance his collection of skills he'd either need a new teacher of he'd need a new infusion of scrolls and books to use - something he idly noted his father's study was chocked full of but hadn't spent much time perusing other than cover titles. Aside from the quick look through the stocked family library, quick enough to find the _Kage Bunshin_ and _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ scrolls, he had avoided spending too much time in there. He was just starting to get used to the idea of it being his family home after years of having nothing.

Those wounds were still too fresh.

Besides, he had plenty of friends, adoptive family, and adoptive Kitsune both, to keep him occupied. With Hinata's help, they had been spending more time with Ino, even helping out in the store with Naruto in his Naruko Orioke transformation so the shop wouldn't lose customers (he actually earned a few regular male customers with his busty blonde persona (much to Ino's frustration). While being in the store near Ino's dad was a challenge by itself, Hinata gradually began to chip away at his relationship defenses until the inevitable confrontation took place atop the Fourth Hokage's head while all three were watching the sunset in the distance.

They were chatting about inconsequential things like future hopes and what life would be like once they were all genin of Konoha. Naruto had leaned back into a reclining position, his arms behind his torso to support his weight when Ino, following a subtle nod from "the Bluenette" rolled from his right side to straddle his hips, her hands cupping his cheeks and her nose centimeters from his own.

Naruto, in response, blinked sheepishly not being used to such closeness from the platinum kunoichi-in-training.

"We never had our conversation about this rift between us and I can't take being like this anymore." She felt him shift his body weight and, thinking he might try to unseat her as his hips began to roll, clamped down with her legs, her hips rubbing intimately against his, and wrapped her arms around his head and neck pressing his face into her chest while she hung on for dear life. The intimate contact of their lower halves made him blush, but he wasn't the only one heating up judging by the healthy dose of red in Ino's cheeks.

"Either we work this out or I have to… g-give up on you and I don't want that. I'm not r-r-ready to give up yet."

Trying to buck her from her perch made her crotch rub intimately against his own and his pants were becoming uncomfortably tight. Her soft moan made his heart race and he decided to forgo a hasty retreat to settle this once and for all - if for no other reason than to regain control of his lower extremities.

Watching from the sidelines, Hinata cringed. This would either make or break her plan to gang up on him with another woman she_ "sort of"_ trusted.

A very small voice in his head not belonging to the Kyuubi wondered if he was insane to fight this? He shrugged it away and tried to lock eyes from beneath the chin of the admittedly pretty blonde hugging his erection with her body.

"Are you sure you want to know knowing that what you hear from me today may shatter what friendship we've built? Are you ready to take that risk in order to gain what you think you want? …to see the ugly truth of my life?" His voice sounded odd muffled by her chest, another fact that made her blush worse, but his words were clear enough.

She didn't know how to take that. Risk? This was all a big risk in a life that could end with your death on any given mission. Hinata already had him locked up but she was also offering hope, through the CRA program the Niidaime established to preserve powerful clans, something she desperately needed. Inuzuka Tsume had been floating the idea of their kids dating ever since Kiba lost his shot at Hinata and her dad had seemed all too keen on the idea when he broached it at dinner last night. Ino couldn't fathom why he'd prefer the fleabag over anyone else but she was sure his hatred of all things Sasuke Uchiha had something to do with it.

She was running out of time, so it was time to _'put up or shut up.'_

There was always risk involved but this sounded world-altering important, like looking over a cliff while being chased by an army of Iwa nins knowing your life depended on either fighting through that horde of psychotics or jumping off into the unknown abyss below.

Being a kunoichi meant risk. Their jobs often lead to death or worse at much higher rates than shinobi, despicable infiltration missions that literally required them to sleep with the enemy hoping they could kill their target before being found out and killed in turn. There were hundreds of stories of brave kunoichi that gave their all on a mission never to return. The graveyard memorial stone was filled with their names.

How could facing this challenge be any less difficult? Success or no, it was all the same to the female ninja, so she squared her jaw and nodded once.

He sat up slightly so that he could take her hands in his own, their joined hands pressed against his chest allowing her to feel his heartbeat. Deliberately looking into her eyes, he took a minute to see her, really take in the almond shape of her face and her clear skin. As the sun finished dying on the horizon, he let out a slow breath and began.

"Tell me what you know of the Kyuubi."

His eyes locked onto hers, sometimes bouncing from one to the other. He could tell by her reaction that the nonsequitur caught her flat-footed.

"The Kyuubi attacked almost, what? Twelve years ago now?" He could see that her mind was scrambling to figure out why this had anything to do with their (hopeful) relationship. "The village banded together to fight it but failed, losing hundreds of brave shinobi until the Fourth Hokage arrived and ultimately defeated it, ending the siege and saving tens-upon-thousands. We remember that day and mourn their loss every October tenth."

Her answer was both textbook and expected. Ino was a bright one in school after all.

"Do you know what the Kyuubi is?"

This caught her flat-footed. She looked perplexed and shook her head from side to side wondering why anyone would care now that the creature was dead.

"The Kyuubi is called a demon by man but she is, in fact, a Bijuu," he continued, "a being of great power splintered from a greater demon - the Jyuubi - along with her eight siblings, the majority of which are sealed away in human vessels called _jinchuuriki_."

Ino rolled the word around in her mouth. _Human sacrifices…_ _'The Power of Human Sacrifice?'_ _who would condemn someone to a life like that?_ It was then that another thought struck her as very peculiar.

"Why do you keep referring to the Kyuubi in the present let alone as a_ 'her'_?" Naruto smiled at her quick mind, an action that made her blush with pride while simultaneously flushing with concern.

"This is where things will get hard for you to accept." He lifted a hand to touch the side of her face and she shivered at the warmth, her eyes trying to involuntarily close at the sensation. Ino jerked her eyes open so she could stay focused on his face.

_'Focus on his eyes, those beautiful...'_

"A bijuu is powerful, too powerful for any one man to destroy completely as, at its core, it's a creature of pure chakra - well, youki but it's a form of chakra. The best the Fourth could hope to do was seal it away into a vessel, a human vessel, in order to contain its power in order to keep it from destroying Konoha." He lifted his shirt and channeled chakra into his stomach and Ino saw the most complex seal ever appear in great black swirls on his rock-hard abs, those wonderful abs. This time she was too shocked to drool over those sculpted obliques.

"He sealed the Kyuubi into the stomach of a baby only hours old as its undeveloped chakra coils had the best chance of growing with and containing the bijuu's vast power. He sealed the Kyuubi into me."

He watched her very closely as it sunk in, as all the hatred she'd seen directed to the boy who's lap she commandeered for this discussion rushed back into her mind. In that perfect recollection of history, she saw her own part in the cruelty inflicted on him daily during the first few years of class, and then the continued looks of disgust and rage that he let roll off his shoulders as the three of them moved around the village, including the ones she caught not more than a few hours ago on their way to the monument.

Her shock turned to shame then to rage and then to horror. He couldn't know that it was horror at the pain he had to live through as an orphan, as the truth of stories Hinata previously shared with her about his life in the orphanage and how this boy had been shunned, abused, and abandoned by people he kept safe on a daily basis from the wrath of the nine-tailed demon fox. He just saw the physical response and anticipated her attempted flight, so he moved to hold her still until this moment could be well and done.

His arms went from her hands to her waist as she tried to bolt. With ease he held her close, pressing her shoulders forward and crushing her chest to his while his other hand cradled the small of her back. She whimpered, pushed feebly though there was no real heat in her efforts, and, when she couldn't flee, she cried repeatedly that she couldn't understand why… that she needed to… do something.

He held her in place until her struggles turned into frantic sobs, until her panic turned into streaming tears, her arms switching from pushing away to grasping on to him for dear life in a bone-crushing grip. He bore it without comment as her sobs wracked her body, expunging years of guilt in between open-mouthed gasps for air and heart-wrenching cries of pain and despair. He could feel her pain on a visceral level and it moved his heart just a bit.

How could he bear this life? How could he shoulder the hate of his own village and not be the monster they thought him to be? How could he not turn into the monster they all feared?

She asked all these things through shuddering sighs and pain-filled gasps for air.

As he rocked her in his arms, all of her limbs now clamped firmly around his body, she sobbed out, "I'm sorry," again and again and again as if she believed he might believe it if she said it enough.

Eventually, she had no more tears to shed. Naruto rocked side to side and rubbed her back as she clutched his jacket and hair. When she sighed one last time and accepted a tissue from Hinata (the Hyuuga girl knew this conversation was coming and so came prepared), she tried to hide her swollen eyes and runny nose in the nape of his neck, a weak laugh her attempt to recover some measure of composure.

"I didn't want to let you run away in turmoil and shock. You appear calm enough now so I will release you if you still want to run from me and what I am." He slowly removed his hands from her back and placed them firmly on the ground to either side of her knees, waiting patiently for her to look up and meet his eyes again or flee.

She chose to stay.

She didn't see hate from him anymore. Concern, yes, but no hate. Ino shook her head almost urgently and buried her face back into the nape of his neck, her hands frantically gripping the front of his jacket.

"No…," her voice was hoarse from raw emotional release, "I need to hear the rest." She shivered so he wrapped his arms around her again and pressed on with a pause to look at Hinata on his left, who merely nodded encouragement.

"The act took his life and the life of my mother leaving me an orphan, a ward of the village. My status as a Jinchuuriki is an S-class secret not to be told to those not privy to the original sealing unless by the Hokage or myself."

He tilted her chin up to make his next point very clear.

"I know you like to gossip Ino, (a shocked look from her) but sharing this with our generation will get your head removed." She blinked in fear. This was a serious issue, so she meekly nodded that she understood. He released her chin, pressed her face back into his neck, and gently rubbed her back some more, her questions mumbled into the warm flesh of his neck.

"Will it get out?"

"No, our spirits are linked through my seal and the seal is the greatest effort of its kind in a century. _She_ won't get out unless I let her out and, even then, our spirits are linked so that if the Kyuubi dies, I die. If she ever gets out, we both die."

Neither he nor the Kitsune sealed in his stomach knew if that part of the seal would work the way the array cipher was formulated based on a straight bijuu being sealed in it instead of a Kitsune-jinchuuriki hybrid but there really wasn't a reason to panic a whole village based on conjecture, now was there?

"Are there any… side effects?"

"There is one, but the benefits outweigh the hazards. I have a Kitsune bloodline." Ino jerked back to look into his face.

"A what?"

"Do you promise not to share this secret or freak out?" She nibbled her lower lip before crossing over her heart and nodding.

Naruto closed his eyes and released his transformation. His golden ears and now three tails unfurled (he'd earned it sometime during the third year) and his Kitsune eyes opened to stare out at the blonde snuggled in his lap. He wrapped one of his tails around Hinata, snuggling her up close next to his body then used another to wrap around Ino's waist. The silky feeling of that tail hit her touch-sensitive receptors and she squealed in delight. It also helped that he gave off tons of heat and that heat appeared to travel through those tails making them luxurious to bare skin, which she liked to show plenty of. Tentatively, she reached up and stroked one of his ears, which twitched at her soft touch.

"If you decide to stay with me, with us… you'll see more of this. I would hate to startle you first thing in the morning." He laughed nervously while she stroked his tail and rubbed her face along the white tip.

"Why would you startle me first thing in the…. Oh. Oooooooh!" Her blush returned full bore and shot all the way down to her neck. Suddenly she was very conscious of her position in his lap and the very hard object grinding against her every time she shifted position.

"There is more to this tale and I'll share that with you in time. For now, I need to know where you stand Ino."

Without hesitation, Yamanaka Ino leaned forward and pressed her lips to his surrendering her first real kiss. At first soft and hesitant, the kiss heated up and her tongue stroked lightly across his upper lip seeking entrance. Soon they were wrestling for dominance and Naruto's nose was betraying her growing need in their compromising position if the subtle grinding of her hips were an accurate indication. All too soon, the moment passed, and her head lowered to his chest.

"Is my stupidity back in class all the grudge you bear me? I need to know."

"For you, yes, but I need to settle a score with someone from your clan."

"Someone from my clan, why is that?" She seemed almost fearful and desperate. She knew how powerful he could be. She'd seen fairly amazing feats from the blond jinchuuriki already but was he strong enough to take on a possible Chunin or Jounin with the ability to melt someone's brain?

Another big sigh. "Five and a half years ago, on the night of the Kyuubi Remembrance Festival, I turned six years old. I had learned to avoid that holiday because people associated me as the Kyuubi and took their anger out on me. This year I had forgotten to buy food, even at the ridiculously overcharged prices I get charged (unless disguised by a _Henge_ but he kept that part to himself)," Ino growled, "…and I was really hungry. I thought I could make it to Ichiraku's and back unseen," he shrugged almost non-committally, "…but a mob found me."

Ino gasped as a story she overheard spying on her parents clicked in her mind.

"Truth be told, I think they were looking for me but that doesn't matter. They found me, they beat me, they stabbed me, they poisoned me. I had ANBU assigned to watch over me, but they stood by and watched. If the Captain on duty hadn't gone to check on me, that mob might have succeeded in killing me that year. It was only the strong healing powers granted me by the Kyuubi that kept me alive long enough for them to get me to the hospital and find a doctor willing to work on saving my life."

Silent tears were sliding down her cheeks this time and Naruto leaned forward to kiss them away. Her eyes closed, and she sighed at the intimate contact.

"It was a mob of five people, one civilian and four shinobi backed by an army of cheerleaders. Three of them belong to large, powerful clans but one is a Yamanaka, a Yamanaka Rikuto to be exact." Ino shot straight up at this.

"I know about him!" Naruto's eyebrows raised. "So yeah, he has been the black mark on our family tree for years now, aside from Fuu who disappeared under questionable circumstances."

* * *

In a dark underground compound, a hooded figure kneeling before a heavily bandaged man sneezed only once. All three, including the equally cloaked man kneeling to his right, looked around momentarily before continuing the briefing concerning what they'd learned about the weapon's surprising development.

* * *

"My father never speaks about him except for the one time his wife came to plead for forgiveness for what he did. My dad never told me what that was, but she was saying that he was doing the village a favor. She sounded desperate, dangerously unstable.

"Dad got angry and cut her off saying that attacking a small, defenseless child was never excusable." She paused here and looked tragically into his eyes. "I was supposed to be upstairs asleep, but I could hear them through the cracked door of my room." She reached out and stroked her fingertips along his cheek.

"Dad also said he would never forgive him and that he could rot in prison for as long as the Hokage saw fit." She found Naruto's eyes. Odd how she loved that deep blue color.

"We never heard from her again. I asked about her once a few years later and Mom said she left the village to be closer to the prison he was sent away to. I hear he spends all his time making big rocks into smaller ones to help keep up the village's stonemasonry profession and without his chakra since it gets permanently sealed when you go to a high-security prison like the one he went to."

Naruto tried not to frown. It wasn't what he wanted but it was justice. The man lost the life he had while trying to take the life of another.

It would also have to do unless he broke _in_ to prison to murder a helpless inmate. He shook his head and focused on the two remaining, and much harder to get to, targets as they watched the burning horizon dull to a soothing purplish-blue.

A week later he would hear about the Uchiha massacre from a few years before and curse that Itachi cheated him out of his revenge.

In the meantime, he focused on the bundle of hormones wrapped up in one of his tails. "So, Ino, I take it you're okay with," his hands spiraled around his torso and head, "all of this?"

Her smile was blinding, her head nodding up and down like a spring had been surgically installed into her neck. She'd have to get used to the furry accessories but there were stranger things in the shinobi world - like the green blurs she'd been seeing around Konoha shouting off phrases at glass-shattering levels.

"One, the tails and ears are cute - you can tell me what they do later. Two, I have seen you at your best and, while I have not seen you at your worst, you can't be anywhere near as bad as the Uchiha-princess." It didn't take long for the group to associate Sasuke with Naruto's broody moniker for the survivor. "And three, I accept you for who you are. All I ask is that you accept me the same way." She glommed onto the tail and squealed again. "Did I mention that these tails were cute? And silky? And _war~~~m_?"

She did. What he neglected to tell her was that stroking his tail was also making his pants even tighter. They would have to get that under control soon and he'd have to ask the twins why they never mentioned that fact.

Back in the family estate, the Twins sneezed while preparing dinner and looked at each other in alarm.

Ino looked down at their joined hips and smiled up at the healthy male with mischief in her eyes.

He need not have bothered about Ino discovering his erection. She was still straddling his lap and she discovered the effect on her own while unintentionally grinding her pelvis - repeatedly - against his. She glanced down again while he blushed and raised her tissue to her nose again. _'How is that supposed to fit in there?!'_

Oh, well. It was a question for another time as her devilish side reared its naughty head. Ino focused on his reaction below and intentionally ground her hips down and forward a little bit until he grabbed her hips and raised one eyebrow as if to say, _"Not now."_

They spent another hour talking, the sun long down the night air cooling. The two girls spent that hour wrapped warmly in his golden tails and pouted pitifully when he had to hide them again before he walked them home. Ino made sure to get her share of kisses from Naruto, taking time to share appropriately with Hinata (it wasn't quite natural yet but it was growing on her), and she resolved to see how far she could push him with her affections.

Touch was definitely Ino's "love language" and she was incredibly sensitive to his brushing fingertips.

The next day found Shikamaru's seat in class swapped out with Ino until finals were upon them. No one complained but Sakura might have looked forlorn once or twice over losing her best friend to the "blond baka" as she still called him. Ino let her know under no uncertain terms that insulting Naruto in her presence was no longer okay by her and that the "emo wonder" should be more respectful of a ninja he couldn't beat one on one.

Sasuke glowered mightily annoyed that he would lose even one of his unwanted fangirls to the dobe. Ino was clearly defective.

Finals went well. They went so well in fact that tests had to be paused when Naruto was demonstrating his henge to Kurenai, who was the guest proctor for _Genjutsu_, and they discovered that his henge was, in fact, a solid transformation, not an illusion. He had used her as the model and, when she tried to reach through the chest of her image to touch the top of his head (Kurenai was sexy Amazonian tall most of which was very leggy), he squeaked when her hand copped a feel on her doppelganger's left breast, both of them blushing as a result.

The Hokage was called in after everything was verified and Naruto's transformation was immediately classified as an S-class infiltration technique with a real chance of deceiving the security of another hidden village. Naruto was still trying to get his head wrapped around how pleasant Kurenai's touch was, whether this is what Hinata or Ino felt when they put his hands on their still-growing chests, and if he should do it more often – that second pesky inner voice that had nothing to do with Kyuubi was railing at him for even questioning that fact and was becoming louder and more insistent as the days went by.

He also had to keep Kakashi from groping his chest in Kurenai's image, something that irritated both the fake and the real one to no end.

Final exams out of the way, they were released until the following Monday when they would be assigned to their three-man teams. They were officially graduates and, barring a final evaluation by their new sensei (a secret Kyuubi was all-too-happy to pass on to him), were officially shinobi of Konoha.

That night Hinata celebrated her graduation with Naruto since her father put no effort into a happy celebration. He barely noticed her achievement with a mumbled, "Hn," which she, of course, expected nothing more from him.

Ino celebrated with her parents but accepted her congratulatory kisses and hugs from her two closest friends with a promise from Naruto that they would celebrate together the following day.

So, it was with pleasant surprise the next day that the door to her shop opened and in walked Naruto, freshly groomed and dapper, in a wine-colored kimono and black hakama. On the chest were two symbols she recognized for the Uzumaki Clan. His white tabi and traditional geta sandals showed unusual attention to formality for the "sneaker-and-shorts" shinobi in the growing summer heat.

"N-N-Nar-Naruto!" He looked really good to her and few of the women shopping about for flowers giggled at her blush. She thought, with an internal frown, a few were admiring her beau a bit too much for her personal comfort.

He smiled, a warm smile that brightened the room and made her knees weak, before crossing the room and embracing her. When she inhaled heavily at the engulfing warmth and returned his embrace, she smelled a spice almost like cinnamon.

"Has my order arrived?"

She nodded and (reluctantly) broke away to reach into the cooling cabinet to grab a bouquet of "Shining Gold" tulips laced with smaller "Silver Ladies." Ino admitted that she'd thought the bouquet gorgeous and was a bit jealous when she found out that his name was attached to the order. There were a few women in the shop looking about and they had eyed the arrangement earlier, some even asking if it was for sale. The repeated sighs at it being pre-sold were not lost on the self-proclaimed "Girlie of Girlie Girls."

He paid for the flowers, kissed her once on the cheek – which made her blush and the ladies in the store giggle again – then turned to head for the door, her heart dropping as he cradled the flowers in his arm. When he lifted a small lacquered box near the shop door (_when did that get put there?_) and turned back to the counter, her eyebrows shot up in an unasked question.

When he winked at her and strode straight past the counter to the back room, she turned in silent confusion to watch him pause, square his shoulders, then approach her father before bowing deeply from the waist until his forehead was parallel to the floor. By now, she was shocked into utter disbelief, her heart rapidly building to a thundering drumbeat as she hoped beyond hope, even if she could not hear the words coming from his clearly moving lips.

By now the women in the store had stopped shopping and were even leaning to the side so they could peek around her and through the employee door to watch her father's face go pale with shock at first, his eyes nervously shifting from the back of the boy's head to his daughter's wide eyes and open mouth then back to the boy's head again. After what seemed like hours (but was in actuality three minutes of stunned silence), during which Naruto held his formal position of humility, the elder Yamanaka squared up and returned the bow to the boy very much his junior. What surprised Ino was that he returned the bow, not in equal measure, but with his legs folded and his forehead touching the floor.

Apparently, this shocked Naruto who proceeded to help her father back to his feet, his arm extending the lacquered box as a gift. There was a nervous chuckle between the two, Naruto's free hand now resting on the back of his head in a familiar gesture before both relaxed, nodded once to each other, and Naruto turned away only to freeze once his eyes locked with Ino's once again.

The warmth in those deep blue eyes made her melt all over again.

Her father glanced one last time before disappearing further into the family living space beyond the storefront and Naruto calmly stepped forward and, with both hands, offered the bouquet to Ino. When she took the flowers from his hand, he smoothly dropped to one knee, reached into his kimono sleeves, and offered a long, slim jewelry case that flipped open to show a diamond pendant shaped like a heart, a large yellow diamond nestled in the slightly curved base where the lines formed a point.

"Yamanaka Ino, would you do me the honor of allowing me to court you as befitting a woman of your grace and beauty. Would you allow me to share the wonders of our world and the love of my heart with you? Will you be my girlfriend?"

A chorus of sighs erupted behind her to accompany the bevy of lovestruck onlookers, but she heard none of it. That's okay since she never noticed her mother standing at the doorway with her hands over her mouth either, tears streaming down her face, and her father standing behind her with his hands on the older woman's shoulders. She barely remembered the beautiful flowers in her hands as her smile burst from her face and her arms wrapped around his neck. She may have remembered the long squeal that lasted until she ran out of air, but she figured he would get her meaning regardless.

That necklace hung from her neck for that entire weekend, and later whenever she was home from missions, as the pride of her collection. The matching pendant with pale purple diamonds already hung around the neck of her sister-wife-to-be.

Hinata had all but moved into a guest room in the main house. Most of her belongings were there and she went home mainly to keep up the image of propriety. More and more they were looking forward to losing all barriers when she turned sixteen. He even had the perfect ring picked out for them both.

Together Hinata and Ino spent many days picking out dresses from bridal magazines and honeymoon vacation spots and squealing like pre-teen girls, which they were.

Oh, the plans of young love.

~ III ~

* * *

Monday found them in the academy for the last time, the girls firmly entrenched on either side of the shinobi they loved. They were trying to listen to Iruka's boring speech commending their dedication and perseverance, the fact that they needed to mark this occasion as not the end but the beginning of their real training as shinobi, meaning that they would need to further develop and grow in order to become strong for the… blah, blah-blah, blah-blah!

They were trying to pay attention. Really, they were but it was all so boring with the weekend being rather eventful by comparison. Given the very short lifespans of most shinobi, the old saying, "Old enough to kill, old enough to drink, old enough to breed" was echoing prominently in their fevered brains. Hinata and Ino had been scheming interesting ways to enjoy that saying in modern times and the prize nestled between their heated bodies figured prominently into those plans. So that meant getting through Iruka's boring speech with grace and the team meetings that followed.

The best part of this whole experience came earlier when the girls showed Sakura their very expensive promise necklaces and her mouth flapped agape in flaming jealousy. Since they hadn't even mentioned they were dating separate boys, she became righteously indignant when they admitted that they weren't. Sakura wanted to rail about immorality and indecency, saying they were both too good to marry the baka let alone be a mistress but Iruka had come in to silence the outrage. They both looked over at Sakura's seething glare and gave her the picture-perfect smugness the pinkette hated so much.

It all became clear to Sakura what was really happening once Iruka stopped stalling and got around to giving out team assignments.

Seeing that his former students weren't really listening, now down to twenty-four in the class, Iruka smiled and moved on. The first four teams would be medic or administrative appointments owing to the program advances spurred by Naruto's changes to the survival exercise, as they didn't have what it took to enter field service as combatants, but this gave the support troops a much-needed boost and still allowed growth in the shinobi ranks.

Fewer dreams smashed meant more manpower for the village.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Inuzuka Kiba, you are Heavy Combat Team Seven. Your Jounin instructor is Hatake Kakashi."

Naruto had stopped listening as soon as his name wasn't in the first three called for each group, but he was happy to have dodged that bullet. He immensely disliked both the _Last Uchiha_ and the foul-smelling dog nin and he was blessedly rid of both of them in one fell swoop. Sakura was still so upset about Ino's two-timing love affair she forgot to gloat about being on the emo's team.

"Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, you are Search and Rescue Team Eight."

You could have heard a pin drop as eyes around the room blossomed into goggled orbs.

"Your Jounin instructor is Yuhi Kurenai."

Naruto was both shocked and confused. Iruka calmly put his arms to his sides and bowed to the blond Genin until his upper body was level with the floor.

"Oi!" Kiba shot out of his seat. "Why did you call the blond loser a Namikaze?!"

The answer came from a most unexpected source: the Sandaime Hokage.

"He called him Namikaze because that is the name of his father, Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Naruto immediately scowled. _'He can't tell me for years without a major struggle but he could announce it to the class without so much as a _please and thank you_?'_

Everyone was staring at the Hokage liked he grown another head and, as if on hidden strings, their faces turned to look at the only blond male in the class, certain comparisons to the deceased blond Hokage being rapidly made to the younger version in the chair.

"It is time the village knew the truth about you Naruto. It is time they acknowledged the debt they owe to both you and your father."

The Hokage bowed once, very low to the fresh genin. He smiled when Naruto stood and, for the first time since he'd known him, returned the gesture. There was no smile but this was the village's military and Naruto was now a member of its military.

Disrespecting the old man publicly could and would lead to serious consequences.

"Hai! Hokage-sama." The Hokage winked once then vanished in a swirl of leaves and wind thinking he was making significant grounds in recovering his damaged relationship with the former clanless orphan.

Naruto straightened up to the still shocked faces of his former classmates.

"What?" Naruto looked around at the gap-jawed people that didn't know beforehand (everyone but Hinata and Ino). "It's not like we don't look anything alike. Honestly people. And you call yourselves shinobi?"

For Sakura, many pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked into place. Her head slowly pivoted to look at the two women snuggled up against the blond embodiment of her distaste. They were smiling. _They knew his secret!_ Then she remembered the CRA. They both had a chance at happiness with the man they loved, and they accepted it together. They had a chance at happiness and with a real prince! Her hands flew to her mouth… he was the son of the Yondaime! He was an _Uzumaki_. The only Uzumaki that ever lived in Konoha was the Royal Ambassador. Was he… _royalty_?

She suddenly felt very nauseous.

Her mouth was suddenly dry. She found it hard to breathe. Looking at the shocked and angry Uchiha, she had to wonder if she'd been wasting her time and the first pangs of doubt in her devotion began to creep into her mind. Ino had tried to get her to leave the Uchiha for the Uzumaki before her defection and she'd been violently opposed. Oh, how she regretted that decision now.

For better or worse, she had cast her lot by treating him, and every other male not-Sasuke, horribly. She was stuck with Uchiha Sasuke now and would see it through. Odd that she now considered herself "stuck..."

With the complete silence in the room, Naruto's words were impossible to miss. The rest of the class almost didn't hear the new Ino-Shika-Cho formation for Infiltration and Capture Team Ten with Sarutobi Asuma as their instructor. Hidden in the hallway and dancing a silent jig of total victory, Kurenai was lording her win over a catatonic Kakashi, an elite Jounin that was silently reliving every interaction he'd had with the boy over the past six years wondering how he missed the signs.

So much for looking _'underneath the underneath,'_ eh?

They were dismissed for lunch and to meet their instructors back in the classroom in an hour. It took considerably less time than that for the news of his heritage to make the various grapevines of the village. By the time the day came to an end, random strangers were prostrating themselves on the ground begging for forgiveness to a child they had emotionally abused their entire adult lives. A large portion of the population would remain conflicted. A much smaller portion still blamed him for the Yondaime's death.

But let's not get too far ahead, shall we?

Ino wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her chest firmly into his, and laid into his mouth for a very friendly kiss. That out of the way, she calmly grabbed her team and left to find lunch. She'd get more from him later.

Choji and Shikamaru congratulated Naruto with shocked looks on their faces, Shika with a hurt expression before Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder and told him his heritage was another S-class secret to keep him safe from his father's many enemies. Shikamaru didn't press further but admitted that the resemblance had crossed his mind before. The Hokage, however, had said that the Fourth had no son so he never questioned it. It was good to know that he wasn't crazy when the numbers just weren't adding up.

Naruto vowed that he would make it up to them somehow.

The Uchiha merely sat in shock glaring at his nemesis. Loser or not, lesser clan or not, he had Hokage blood in his veins. He was worthy enough to be an official rival to an Uchiha elite. He wasn't worthy enough to keep a combat advantage, however, so Sasuke would need to fix their standing record once he could begin serious training and activate his Sharingan. Yes, he would need to fix their standing properly.

Maybe the blonde could be his toady when the dust settled?

Kakashi, too stunned to go through his normal "stall them until they crack so he could observe them" routine, took his new Genin team to lunch. He would make them pay tomorrow during their Genin trial.

Lunch for Naruto's group was Ichiraku's since anything else was either too far away or would take too long as they were on an hour time limit.

Naruto shared the news with Teuchi and Ayame since the Hokage had released it officially. Ayame calmly walked over and hugged her "brother" glad for the fact that he could begin the road to healing. Together, they chatted with the threesome while Teuchi shared stories of his mother and father. Apparently, the Yondaime and his wife were both big fans and loyal customers of the shop. Who knew?

It was a nice break, that is, until people that knew where the boy sometimes spent his lunch breaks, and had heard the recent news, began showing up to point and whisper, some in awe and some considerably less so enamored. Before too long, Naruto cut off their lunch break and decided to head back to the academy with a promise to visit again later. The growing spectacle had soured his appetite and the pleasant atmosphere. The ramen fiend actually left a bowl uneaten to Teuchi's utter disbelief!

For the first time, Teuchi considered putting up walls to the front of his shop. This public attention would take some getting used to.

Back at the Academy, Teams Eight and Ten were grouped together pointedly ignoring the glares from Teams Five, Six, and Seven. The hopeful med-admin nins had already left, most actually waving nicely to the ostracized collective and some thanking Naruto for their chance to enter directly into a field they felt excited about.

Sasuke brooded in the corner while occasionally sneering at the Namikaze urchin.

It didn't last long as Kurenai and Asuma arrived to take their charges away at the same time. Once the two teams split up, Kurenai led them to a medium-sized training area physically not too far off from Area Twenty-Three (most team training fields were small patches of cleared land well within the village walls). Kurenai got them seated on the grass for a little team bonding.

"This will be our regular training area, Training Area Eight. Make yourself familiar with it as we'll start our days here at seven every morning. For now, I think we should take the time to get better acquainted. I'll start us off."

"My name is Yūhi Kurenai, a genjutsu specialist. When I'm not muddling around in people's heads, I like to study the human brain or work with flowers. Insulting my abilities as a kunoichi or my gender as a woman is the quickest way to get on my bad side. My goal is to make you all successful shinobi of this village."

She smiled to her three charges and Naruto had to bite his tongue to stop from muttering out how pretty she was. Long, wavy black hair and a model's face was just the tip of the iceberg. Besides, his tongue would heal up soon enough.

_**"Horn dog!"**__Kyuubi snickered in the back of his mind._

_'Shut it, you, or I'll take you over my knee next time I see you.'_

Kyuubi squealed in delight. _**"Promise?!"**_

Naruto blushed a healthy shade of red which Kurenai took as a reaction to her appearance. She was not completely wrong.

Shino stood up.

"Aburame Shino. I am fond of my allies and seek to be the next head of my clan. I dislike those that kill insects without justification. Between now and then, I look to master our clan techniques so that I can make my own unique style." He sat down and glanced to the Bluenette seated to his right.

"Ano… I am Hyuuga Hinata." Kurenai smiled at her significantly missing stutter. "I like cinnamon rolls, cheerful people, and my sister Hanabi. I dislike people that hurt others for no reason. My new ambition is to be recognized by my clan since I've already gained the recognition, and the love, of the one I treasure most. My dream is to stand by that person's side as we rebuild his clan."

Naruto blushed, even more, knowing full well what that would mean to them both.

"Ahem, I am Uz…, er, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. Sorry, but that will take some getting used to. I still like ramen, but I love Hinata-chan and my friends, something I never thought I'd say." A sad look flashed across Kurenai's face but quickly passed. "My dream is to resurrect my clan and rebuild my ancestral home of Uzushiogakure."

Kurenai thought for a minute at what that meant. Before the boy started the academy, he couldn't stop bragging about how he'd become the greatest Hokage of all time. It was almost a legend in the village. Had the village soured his loyalty to the point where that was a lost cause? She would have to reluctantly include that in her first team report.

"Very good. I'd like to get a feel for skill sets and then we'll assess your combat levels with some friendly sparring. Shino, please start us off."

Shino held out his arms and two swarms of bugs amassed in dark clouds to hover around his head. He ran through his bugs capabilities, referring to them as allies, and their benefits as scouts, sentries, trackers, and chakra eaters helpful in capture missions. He even had carnivorous ones in there somewhere. Kurenai seemed pleased even if he was overly specialized and his bugs creeped her out a little when they burrowed back into his skin. _How did that not hurt just a little?_

Hinata highlighted the power of the Byakugan and her clan's _Gentle Fist_ fighting style. As an afterthought, she listed her recent abilities with medical ninjutsu, something derived from their class's modified survival exercise – she wanted to be the best med-nin she could to help her team. She literally glowed at Naruto for that. Kurenai was extremely pleased to have a budding med nin with close combat capabilities on her team, a clear benefit above and beyond why she really wanted Naruto on the team: pure offensive and defensive power to prevent another massacre like her last mission team. He was the equivalent of a ninja tank and platoon-sized rescue squad in one.

When Naruto stood, five shadow clones popped into existence without a single cry, seal, or puff of obnoxious smoke and stood with him. They immediately started sounding off one at a time with his list of ninja skills.

"First off, the Kage Bunshin. It's a force multiplier. Kage Bunshin, as demonstrated in our survival exam, are perfect for intel gathering and espionage. They can relay instantly whatever information they obtain and killing them does nothing to stop it as that transfers the information immediately. Furthermore, my clones are perfect for clandestine demolition with the addition of _Daibakuha_ jutsus, which I've learned. Army in a pocket." The clone dispersed. Kurenai was impressed that he could produce five without being winded.

"Next, Genjutsu student. I have mastered the veil, henge, transformation, shape change, and camouflage techniques but I'd like to learn more." The clone dispersed and Kurenai was grinning happily.

"Next, chakra enhancement." They all blinked at this. Naruto lifted an arm and it suddenly flooded with enough chakra to make it glow visibly before he walked over and smashed a rock to powder with that same glowing fist. "I can use chakra to enhance my body, making myself faster, stronger, and tougher… kind of like chakra armor. So far, I have been successful in quadrupling my physical attributes, when I'm not bogged down by weights." The clone dispersed and Kurenai giggled.

_'Jounin are not supposed to giggle,'_ Hinata thought.

"Next, elemental jutsu. I have elemental affinities in all five major branches and I've learned roughly eight to ten E through C-Ranked jutsu in each, barring the elemental Bunshin varieties of which I know earth, water, fire, and lightning." The clone _flickered_ a short distance away, converted all of his chakra into electricity, and exploded rather violently scorching the ground in a three-meter radius. This brought _ooohs_ and _aaaahs_ from his entire team.

"Next, I hold the Kitsune summoning contract. That means I can summon war foxes and Kitsune to fight with us if we get into a real scrape. Uh… don't panic if they refer to me as _'Taichou_._'_ Apparently… that's their thing and I let them go with it." The clone dispersed and now Kurenai was giddy. The kind of giddy that had her hopping up and down while clapping her hands. The males in her genin squad tried to ignore her bouncing cleavage.

The real Naruto stepped forward. "I was going to go through my stealth and trap specializations but you've all seen those through pranking and the survival challenge. Dodging angry ANBU gives you lots of practice so I won't go into those. I think that's it, for now, sensei, aside from my _Fūinjutsu_ hobby." Kurenai blinked.

"What… _Fūinjutsu_ hobby?" she questioned as Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"Apparently, the Uzumaki clan was very talented and I think I inherited some of that. I can understand lesser seals without truly studying them - intermediate and advanced arrays require some actual work. Additionally, I am very proficient at making seals, starting from basic storage and exploding ones to the complicated limiter seals I sometimes use to limit my own access to chakra, so I can enhance my chakra control for medical jutsu. Oh, yeah… I guess I trained with Hinata, Ino, and Sakura when they offered those classes at the academy so I'm kind of a backup med nin in case Hinata gets injured, though I don't think I'll ever be a real strong Iryo nin."

Kurenai passed out.

"Ano? Sensei?" _Taps her forehead_. "Sensei?"

When Kurenai woke up she immediately glommed the blond pressing his head into her chest screaming "Jackpot!" at the top of her lungs. Once Shino and Hinata pried him free, then they did some sparring (Naruto's taijutsu was almost as polished as Hinata's) and she told them to meet her back here in the morning so they could start their group training and physical conditioning. No way Kurenai was going to risk breaking up her squad with some dumb test – she would make it work by gum! They would break for lunch around noon then start their first mission immediately thereafter.

All three of them had bright stars in their eyes at the thought of real ninja work.

By the fourth time they'd caught that damnable cat, they all concluded that D-ranked missions were the worst thing ever.

Thirty more missions later and they were ready to rebel.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes: Relearning the Basics**

This chapter sort of got away from me and that was after pairing down the details in the sequel to fit within this chapter. As you can see, more pieces to the puzzle that is Naruto's life are being fit into the overall picture and it's not an overly positive one - a mixture of good and questionable in fact.

In the original, I omitted the training details from the academic curriculum in the essence of streamlining the chapter but it adds depth to the entire chakra usage needed to show Naruto's growth as a shinobi and explain how he's grown through the help of the Twins while the village has sought to professionally cripple him. Naruto is getting stronger but true strength will take time to develop; I've read few mega-powered Naruto fics and I'm not a fan of overnight OP-ness as it very quickly leads to a writer's spiral as they try to find more ways to write superheroic fight scenes to keep people interested.

It's easier to build a character over time and it makes cobbling together necessary violence easier to do with comparable villains. Guys like the Shodaime and Uchiha Madara were rare monsters in the shinobi world for a reason meaning an army of mega-powered baddies for Naruto to cut his teeth on should be a rarity even in the shinobi as those guys typically don't hide below the radar very easily.

This chapter eventually led to the chakra and sealing ideas in No More and, oddly enough, mirrored with authors I found enjoyable to follow and even cite for their innovations that helped to improve my own work. To them (and you know who you are as I've reached out to you prior to using anything I've developed that could be construed as similar to your work), I continue to say thank you and I hope your writing continues to be as successful as it is (or was if you've hung up the keyboard).

_~ Ja Ne!_

~ III ~


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** I had a comment that was concerned that this version was smaller, that it seemed to be moving too quickly. I would like to assure you that it has not been condensed in any way. In fact, it has been expanded. The first release of this story incorporated much more in the way of review feedback than this second release has. There were soo many in fact that I wrote half an update and used the other half of the chapter to address most of the outstanding reviews I'd received leading up to Chapter 16 so, if anything, this story has more content and has covered more ground as I've removed the "Fireside Chat" chapter and stuck (mostly) to the increased story content.

Note: I did keep the original release (including the reviews) and refer to it often to make sure I include everything from the first story.

I would, however, like to address the question behind a **Guest** review this week that did pop up during the first release. This unknown visitor was unhappy with my use of the oft used "assault of a minor" trope and questioned both why I felt this was necessary and inferred that I was too unoriginal (or enjoyed abusing children) to come up with any other method to develop a story. I won't attack this person's character as they felt it necessary to do in my case but I will provide two comments in regards to your uninspired (and unfounded) evaluation of me and my writing skills and why I chose to use the trope.

**One:** I will not speak on any other Fanfic author and state that I used it because it was an expedient method to develop the plot venue for this particular fic, much like your chosen avenue of using an unidentified Guest account to voice your concerns. The trope (for me) expediently allows me to develop the relationship between the protagonist and the main character that enables the Hanyou story plot in the way I desire. A "Guest" account (for you) is expedient as it provides you a false sense of invincibility - as you can say whatever you want and, unless they are an ADMIN, people cannot challenge you or call you out on your choice of words. It's an expedient method for you to act in whatever manner you choose without repercussions for your actions. Many would call this "the coward's path" but I don't know you, so I will not make those aspersions to your character. It's false bravado and unnecessary in a world where you should feel free to speak your mind, whether you chose to accept the responsibility for those actions or not. I am not your judge; your own actions do that admirably without my help.

**Two:** Unlike your assumption that I lack the imagination to develop a story without such an overplayed trope, I am capable of destroying your argument with two simple words, "No More." That story, which is also mine, does NOT use the very overused abuse trope, however, it does not shy away from the harder-than-normal life Naruto has lived (I just don't go into any real detail about his life beyond a few select instances). Let's be real for a minute - there aren't any tropes that aren't overused in fanfiction anymore. The subject matter is over a decade old and, if it's been written about before, it's been re-written at least a dozen times with the notable exception of the one-pager I'm currently trying to decide to continue or not.

No, I do not have high hopes, whoever you are, that you'll read much if any of the fic in question (No More). It's considerably more complicated than "Nature of the Savage Beast" and, unlike the non-English speakers who have given that fic a try and found it too complicated to follow easily, the overly-complicated interwoven story is sufficient to confirm that your assertions are unfounded based on fact.

Otherwise, why would you ever accuse me of being unimaginative enough to come up with something that didn't rely on abusing a child to start a story?

There are additional Q&A points addressing the latest reviews at the end of this chapter.

_~Ja Ne!_

~I I I~

* * *

**Chapter 18: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters**

~I I I~

* * *

Kiba was not a happy boy as he walked down the road leading away from Konoha with the smelly bridge builder belching along behind him. He couldn't smell anything when walking behind the man - other than rancid sake - so Kakashi put his nose to better use out in front. He didn't mind though; they were out of the village headed off in a grand adventure!

That was enough to make even the dreaded _prima donna_ easier to stomach.

On the painfully truthful side, the whiny brat's attitude had at least one good point to it. It was Sasuke's temper tantrum that helped them get this C-Ranked escort and he was happy to be away from the village for a change, even if he was also sorry that there would be no real challenge without enemy shinobi to deal with. C-Ranks were limited to high-bandit threats, nothing trained nin like him and Akamaru couldn't handle. A shame really as he was sure they could handle a bit more even with that waste of flesh they called a team kunoichi.

The disgruntled dog-nin made no attempt to hide his contemptuous side-glare at the preening pink head.

Kiba had another snarky snort at her expense there. His mother and sister had been less than impressed with the girl and took every opportunity to remind him of what they referred to as a "worthless breeder," meaning someone only good for making more Inuzuka. In the Inuzuka Clan, she'd never amount to more than a third class family member below the ninken - a clan that honored strength of limb and courage of heart, and Sakura possessed neither in his opinion.

Kiba clasped his hands behind his head and sighed once again as he tried to tune out Sakura's continued wheedling of the Last Uchiha. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard to his sensitive ears, so much so that he was almost euphoric when she suddenly shut her trap.

He didn't care why just that she'd finally shut the hell up.

Sakura had stopped chattering about the wonders of spring weddings and how she was going to be in the latest fashion when Ino gets married to the "Dobe," something that continued to baffle the dog-nin. Sasuke responded with his usual monosyllabic enthusiasm only to hear her ask, "I thought it hadn't rained for weeks? That's odd."

The entire group (minus Kiba) focused on the water puddle in the middle of the road but only Kakashi caught the now frantic face on the bridge builder. Shortly after Kakashi passed the puddle to the side, his face buried in his favorite orange book of smut, chains wrapped around his upper body stopping him in place.

With a vicious comment of, "One down," the two shinobi wearing gouged Kiri headbands tugged hard on the spiked chains and Kakashi's body was ripped into pieces much to the dismay of his shocked Genin team.

"Quick! Get the builder!" one of the enemy nins barked out as the two charged the group of frozen Genin...

~I I I~

* * *

By the fortieth mission, Naruto was on his knees in the Hokage's office begging for something, anything more challenging.

He was shocked when the Hokage nodded to Iruka who then handed Kurenai a scroll asking her to have her team ready to leave for Wave country in two hours to back Kakashi's Genin. Apparently, their C-Rank (Kakashi had pleaded for his team to get the first upgrade because of the Uchiha) ran into a brother team of ninja assassins. Kakashi had returned their heads via scroll and messenger falcon not even an hour ago.

All other Jounin and Chunin teams were out while the remaining Genin teams were clearly not ready. Gai's more senior team was not due back for another few days and Kakashi needed support sooner rather than later.

_**"Why can't the old man deploy an ANBU squad?"**_

Naruto had to admit the vixen's question was a valid one but couldn't break in to ask the question while his sensei was being briefed by the Sandaime.

They were to escort a boat in Fire country's one port village bound for Wave named the _Nami Hebi,_ or Wave Serpent, and Iruka shuddered noticeably at that. Once safely there with the cargo, they were to disembark and rendezvous with the first team as their support. Why the old man felt the need to modify the rules of succession should Kakashi be found severely injured or incapacitated didn't make any sense but the old man's directive was crystal clear; as they were fulfilling a support role, Kurenai's squad would answer to the designated heavy combat lead - whether it was Kakashi himself or, as they all suspected, the bratty Uchiha.

It made no sense, absolutely none. Yes, they were a heavy combat team but every Genin fresh out of the academy could (theoretically) step into that role. Yes, Kakashi was a heavy combat instructor having served in that capacity as a both a Genin and ANBU squad member, but that didn't give Sasuke, who had next to no real-world heavy combat experience beyond their brush with the _"Demon Brothers"_ of Kirigakure, the experience to be positionally superior to Kurenai, a Jounin Kunoichi. Yes, she was still new to the rank. Yes, she was not a heavy combat ninja as being Genjutsu specialist normally relegated her to a support role automatically, but she was still a Jounin, at least three full ranks above the spoiled Genin in Kakashi's squad.

Naruto suspected favoritism to the Uchiha, perhaps an opportunity to prop him up and it left a bad taste in his mouth.

The ordered quickly soured the faces of each Genin and the Hokage saw it right away even though none spoke out against the order. Instead, Kurenai's team snapped crisp salutes and left to pack.

"Kurenai, I wonder if you and Naruto would stay behind for just a moment." Pausing at the door, the two promptly returned to stand in front of the Hokage's desk. Once the others exited the office, he activated a set of privacy seals and handed Kurenai a separate scroll.

"Keep this with you at all times, Kurenai. Under no circumstances are you to show this to anyone other than myself of the Fire Daimyo in extreme duress." The old man's eyes swept over the silent Genin standing faithfully next to his sensei in outrage at her apparent demotion. He ignored it and pressed on.

Kurenai nodded, the severity sinking in immediately.

"For Naruto, this is an S-Class mission on behalf of the Wave Country's Daimyo directly from our Daimyo, the Lord of Fire. Once in Wave, you are to assassinate the wealthy civilian Gato of the Gato Shipping Company. His head will be required as standard proof of the deed. While in Wave, as the second requirement of your mission, you are to rescue the Daimyo of Wave from this fiend's clutches and return her to her rightful seat of power."

Hiruzen waved his hand to cut off Kurenai's building protest at assigning an S-ranked assassination mission to a relatively fresh Genin. It would appear that mistakes were being made aplenty today.

"I am aware of your concerns, however, our intelligence sources have confirmed that Gato is in fact a civilian backed by largely civilian bandits and thugs. This should be well within Naruto's capabilities. As Kakashi deals with any remaining missing nins, your team will be free to focus on this highly sensitive political mission."

None of that eased the frown from Kurenai's face. "Are these the same intelligence sources that confirmed the bridge builder's original mission was a standard C-ranked escort?"

The Sandaime, for all his blustery throat clearing, chose to leave the valid query unaddressed.

"Quite."

Hiruzen passed the most recent photo of Gato to Naruto who spent thirty seconds staring into the weasel-like eyes smothered in layers of fat before incinerating the photo in his hand.

What he saw in that photo was a man engrossed in his despot-style life of excess, a man used to forcing his way through life without remorse. He saw a man very comfortable in the obscene levels of pain and torture he inflicted on the defenseless through the unrepentant application of barbarism via money, which he obtained through treachery, torture and greed in vast amounts. That was the face of a horrible sack of human flesh needing to be killed.

The photo showed a short, well-fed, well-dressed man standing on a platform, his two grizzled, katana-wielding guards standing next to him, while he laughed at dozens of ragged humans being paraded past him in chains and into a slave-trading vessel.

The Hokage hated to take the boy's innocence so early but this was a desperate mission they could not refuse. The Fire Daimyo would accept no failure and they had very little time. He handed a separate scroll, one with black trimming around both ends, to Naruto.

"Take this to the ANBU armorer. They know you are coming." Naruto paused while accepting the document, his displeasure with his former grandfather figure far from eroded.

"Yes, I know full well that you know where the secret armory is, Naruto. I am not so blind to your rampages throughout Konoha and, given the mission you are about to embark upon, I am grateful for the stealth and avoidance fleeing my ANBU has given you." His face flickered from loving concern to determination.

"You will need every advantage at your disposal to succeed. Use whatever force is needed to succeed and _survive_, Naruto. We cannot afford to fail here."

Naruto met his eyes and nodded once. "What about Kakashi-sensei's team?" he asked.

"Strictly need to know and they do not need to know unless you require their assistance."

Naruto nodded again already determined to avoid the Uchiha at all costs.

"Make me proud, Naruto."

Nothing more needed to be said. To Kurenai, the two-hour preparation time seemed unnecessary until you took in the context of this conversation.

Naruto clenched his jaw and bowed to his Hokage. "Hai, Hokage-sama. It will be done."

Righting his body, he left the office with his sensei, not even realizing he had moved until he was home and packing for a two-week trip, the scroll holding his top of the line ANBU body armor and mask buried in one of the side pockets.

Kurenai later watched him carefully as they leaped as a group through the trees to the harbor town. She understood, although she disagreed, with why the Hokage ordered her to act as a support squad to Kakashi's team. Judging by the grim expressions in her own squad, she'd need to explain it to help avoid conflict between the two teams. She was more than keen enough to pick up the hidden "pamper the Uchiha to give him incentive to stay in the village" aspect of the mission, something every Jounin sensei for this year had been briefed in-depth on should they interact with Kakashi's squad but that did little to help the affected Genin of his year group forced to stomach his insufferable attitude.

Since when did a village revolve around a single shinobi? Since when did Konoha's concept of teamwork get shunted to the side all to coddle a spoiled Genin whose done absolutely nothing to bond with his peers?

Sighing at the uphill battle she could see on the near horizon, Kurenai focused ahead to her team's dual-hatted mission and how she was going to keep her own Genin from murdering the bratty survivor in his sleep. She had no idea that Kyuubi had him bring something additional for a side trip once they got this "Gato" sorted out.

~I I I~

"_**Kit, are you well?"**_

Naruto gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. While he didn't relish the idea of taking a life, Gato definitely fit the bill as the penultimate need to save lives by taking another. Killing him was easily the lesser of two evils.

He could deal with Sasuke as he'd always done - in small doses.

Naruto read the dossier on the businessman behind the billion Ryu business empire and it did not speak well of the man. His legitimate enterprise was a hollow front whose sole purpose was to launder money from his drug, racketeering, and slavery pursuits. Tens of thousands had suffered at the hands of this man, directly or indirectly, a creature less than human that took extreme pleasure in inflicting pain simply because he could.

He never openly challenged a well-established entity, like a hidden village or capital city, but then again why should he when so many smaller and less defended opportunities existed? He knew this man's type as he'd seen so many similar examples of humanity right in his own home, cowards that preyed on the helpless child under the very noses of the village leadership, a child that had devoted his life to protecting those same people from a demon that nearly wiped them out once before.

No, this man would die and Naruto would not mourn him.

According to the mission planning section of the dossier, the upcoming boat ride would take them two days. As they were traveling to the harbor without a civilian tying them down, Team Eight made up some time on Team Seven, the crew having been alerted to expect them in short order. Despite his inherent optimism, Naruto's mind continued to spiral leading to a restless night walking the weather decks of the Wave-bound vessel.

The blond looked out across the relatively calm water to the northern shore of his destination, his left hand idly scratching behind the ears of the kit lounging in his tactical vest. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths of the night air, relishing the salt-laced breeze and the gently cresting seas. He found the setting calming.

"You should at least come out and speak, Sensei. A guy might get self-conscious."

Kurenai's lips parted revealing her perfect teeth as she dropped her camouflage. A few silent steps brought her to the railing and within arm's reach.

"One of these days I'm going to catch you off-guard." A soft chuckle was the only response she got back.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked, her face pointing out ahead of the southbound ship as her eyes took in his askance profile.

A simple question, true, but it had spider-webbing implications. The surprisingly calm shinobi took a deep breath before turning and giving her his undivided attention.

"I've been forming options since we left Konoha but I won't know anything for sure until I've had a chance to gather information on Gato's organization."

Kurenai nodded. It seemed like a logical first step but it wasn't what she was referring to.

"No, Naruto. I meant are you ready for what you must do once we catch him? That simple act isn't quite so simple. Often enough people find their first kill impossible or traumatic enough that it leaves life-long scars."

She turned her head to meet him eye-to-eye.

"I was hoping to spare you and your team of this as long as I could."

Naruto laughed this time, his belly-filled rumbling seeming out of place or, at worst, symptoms of mental instability. Kurenai's left eyebrow rose as her fears began to stir. She noticed that the fox kit snuggled in his jacket was staring intently - _and intelligently_ \- at the boy having a nervous breakdown.

Eventually, with some minor gasping and reduced hilarity, Naruto got enough air back into his lungs to form a coherent response.

"Thank you for wanting to spare us the emotional scarring, sensei but you're a few years late in my case." Kurenai's face melted into shock.

"What do you mean, Naruto?"

Naruto glanced down into the sparkling eyes of his fox and seemed to mull something over for several minutes. At some point, he seemed to come to an agreement with the animal and, instead of meeting her gaze again, looked out across the low-lying waves as if gathering strength or… calmness.

"I was five and just moved into my first apartment." Kurenai blinked in shock not for the first time during this conversation. "For a short time, a nice old lady would come to my home and cook simple meals twice a day and help me clean up. She tried to show me how to do simple things and, for a while, I could pretend to lead a normal life. It was almost like, you know, coming home to a grandmother or somethin'...

"This was far better than the previous year when the orphanage threw me out at the age of four and I spent the next year living in the gutter scrounging together whatever I could find, mostly rotten food from the trash piles."

Kurenai looked truly horrified her entire body rigid with shock.

"You see, she had no children or grandchildren. She never lost anyone to the Kyuubi so all she saw was a small boy that needed someone to love." His eyes took in the gentle swells of the water beneath the gently rocking ship. He could almost see her smiling face, could almost smell the honeyed candies she kept in her handbag for when he'd been extra careful cleaning up.

"So this nice old lady and I pretended to be family. She pretended to be _my family_ and we got along fine. We even got to spend a few months happily pretending together and, for a brief moment, I got to live how the vast majority of people in Konoha spend their days."

When he turned his eyes away from the sea, she saw no warmth or happiness there.

"One day, 'baa-chan didn't come home. So, I waited by the door all day so I wouldn't miss her. The next day she didn't come either, so I made instant ramen and cleaned my apartment extra careful like the way she'd showed me thinking she'd come back if I was a really good boy. When I was done, I once again waited by the door so my happy face would be the first thing she saw." His hand idly returned to the fox's chin as he gently scratched and smoothed her fur.

"She didn't come that day either.

"The following day I received my first visit from ANBU, a young officer with silver hair that stood straight up in the air wearing a dog-faced mask. He delivered a brief message then left without another word."

Kurenai _tsked_ audibly in disapproval knowing exactly who that ANBU was.

"He simply stated, 'Your caretaker has had an accident and she won't be able to take care of you anymore.' Having delivered his message, he vanished in a swirl of leaves and it would be several months before he and I crossed paths again. What's worse was that no one ever came to take 'baa-chan's place so I learned how to take care of myself as best I could."

By now Kurenai was appalled and growing sick to her very flat stomach. He was a baby. Surely Konoha's hatred and blind prejudice would not make a defenseless child suffer?

"I started meeting with Hokage-jiji regularly after that, once a week at first then gradually less, and he helped out whenever he could get a spare moment, which wasn't often. I did ask him once, a bit later on, about whatever happened to Sakurako-baa-chan." Naruto chuckled here briefly. "He avoided the question and said that she got too old to keep up with me and had to retire."

Naruto rose from the railing he had been perching on and turned to face her.

"Now that I'm older and have access to the hall of records, I did my own research and know what really happened to her." Kurenai perked up bit hoping she wouldn't have to fight back the tears she felt building in her eyes.

"Baachan never made it home the last night I spent with her. Some enterprising shinobi found out that she was caring for the demon child that murdered his older sister and simply couldn't let that stand so they followed her home one night as she passed through the market square and knocked her senseless. They then proceeded to cut off her fingers, gouge out her eyes, and cut out her tongue before stabbing her through the heart. It was meant to be a message to anyone else brave enough to help a specific and unwanted child in Konoha."

Kurenai gasped.

"Oh, I don't blame Hokage-jiji for wanting to spare a child the gory details, even a child that had been emotionally abused and psychologically attacked repeatedly since the age of two by both people hired to care for him and by those that blamed him for the deaths of their loved ones on the night the Kyuubi attacked Konoha."

Naruto stepped closer so that she could clearly see his bright blue eyes.

"More importantly, and to answer your question, I think Konoha through its nineteen separate attempts on my life from the age of three on has done more to prepare me for this mission than any other experience in my life since I became shinobi. Never fear, Sensei." He reached up and laid a hand on her right shoulder.

"When the time comes, I'll do Konoha proud." Naruto gave a brief smile, one patently fake and more for her benefit than his own, then quietly padded off to his bunk room and a sleeping Shino.

Kurenai did credit to her profession and cried silently on the prow of the boat for less than five minutes before padding off herself to a fitful night of sleep. She had a new reason to loathe her village.

~I I I~

Before long, the afternoon sun showed them the shore of Wave country on the horizon and their hopes rose just before a thick fog started to roll in. Kurenai yelled up the mast where Shino was practicing his tree climbing and called him back down to the deck. Catching her concern, Naruto looked down over the railing and called Hinata back up from the water's surface and her chakra control practice. Once they were together, Naruto looked out across the water and saw the masts of three boats just hidden in the mist.

"I'm guessing they're not friendly," Naruto joked. Shino nodded, his teammate's dry wit tickling a primal spot in his brain.

The panicked shout of pirates from the wheelhouse a moment later confirmed the suspicion. The captain started yelling orders preparing to turn west and run for freedom near the southern coast of Fire Country.

"Ano, Kurenai-sensei. Tell him to keep going. I will handle the pirates."

The feral grin on his face told her this would be at least satisfying to watch after last night's story so she yelled up to the captain to hold course. He paused for a second but her stern glare had him soon reversing his orders to a very panicked and now thoroughly-confused crew. When she looked back, Naruto had moved to the front of the boat letting the entire crew see him and what was about to happen.

With an audible pop and three puffs of white smoke, three Naruto clones appeared and immediately leapt over the side and out of view.

Everyone on the _Hebi_ was watching with quiet interest now.

Seconds later their blond heads could be seen running across the water's surface and, as they got within projectile range, began body flickering to random locations just before a small plume of water would splash up where they were standing a scant moment before. All the while, the clones kept closing in on the now visible ships bearing down on the freighter. With one last surge of chakra, the three clones flickered until they were gripping the pointed bows of the approaching ships at the waterline.

Then they exploded with enough force to blow open the bow of their respective ships, each one luffing in the choppy water and taking on enough fluid to tip the rear end up at a thirty-degree angle. Within minutes, each of the three ships were diving below the water and the _Hebi's _crew let out an enormous whooping cheer.

Kurenai walked up behind her student and patted his shoulder with an amused grin. It was a very effective way to deal with a long-range threat while boosting the morale of a people being beaten down by Gato's cruelty.

"How long can you keep that up? If I'm seeing correctly, there are more _friends_ waiting ahead." Naruto grinned and turned back to his sensei, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"I never felt the chakra drain from those three Bunshin. Last time I checked, I could make over four thousand of those guys before it started to hurt." He could clearly see the shock in her eyes before he summoned the next three Bunshin, this time without seals, smoke or noise, and sent them ahead to meet the next wave of pirates.

"I recommend leaving fifty more behind with the crew when we disembark, to help offload the supplies and make sure the people of Wave get them."

Kurenai thought that was a very good idea and asked Hinata to pass their intent to the Captain. She was beginning to think she was unneeded on this mission.

The captain predicted this would be the _Hebi's _fastest run to Wave yet and he was right. Without a need to dodge pirates or barter for their freedom, the ship made landfall a full half-day earlier than planned. Naruto fired off a small company of clones when they docked and the group took the captain's token needed to prove safe conduct of their first mission. From the wooden pier they could see more fog up on the bridge and hear the sound of combat accented by the sound of one very excited dog.

Naruto patted Tatsua absentmindedly. He regretted not being able to bring Tamami as well, but he hadn't shared that part of his life with his team. Maybe later but for now he needed to build some trust.

Naruto settled his tanto into his black sash as Kurenai motioned for them to move out. By the time they reached the bridge, however, it was all but over. They arrived in time to see a small hunter nin vanish with the body of another much larger ninja. Not ten seconds later, after Kakashi turned to face Kurenai and her group and whisper, "Oh, hello Yuhi-chan!" they saw the Copy Nin fall flat on his face from apparent chakra exhaustion.

Sasuke wasted no time barking orders, which Kiba promptly ignored. Kurenai approached the civilian with their group, while completely ignoring Sasuke's rant, and made short introductions of her and her team, then motioned for them to head to his home as Kakashi had originally planned. While Sasuke was still trying to get Kiba, Shino or Naruto to carry their unconscious sensei, Kurenai's team pointedly walked past him again muttering, "He's your problem so deal with it," before following Kurenai and Tazuna.

Sasuke was not a happy boy by the time he carried Kakashi's dead weight the five miles to the house the entire time muttering how he was next in command with Kakashi out like he was and, as they were assigned as backup to Team Seven, he was, therefore, the one in charge by order of mission precedence, meaning the _Dobe_ had better get his act together and start following orders or find himself brought up on charges once they were back in Konoha.

While an impressive rant by emo princess standards, it accomplished nothing other than to frustrate him further as he and Sakura struggled under their sensei's dead weight.

He was so frustrated that he failed to see five Kage Bunshin appear at the tree line behind them and take off in different directions. Kurenai noticed and nodded to her student. Those Bunshin were very useful.

Tazuna welcomed the large group to his home and promptly apologized for what would be cramped sleeping arrangements. They would make do and his grandson, Inari, would sleep with his mother, his daughter Tsunami, while they made do. Despite the argument that Kurenai's team would camp outside and not impose, Tsunami would hear nothing of it. They were the reason her father was alive, and she would not dishonor their efforts by being a poor host despite the apparent suffering of her entire village.

As such, the three kunoichi would share a room and the four male Genin would share the guest room, at least that was the plan until Sasuke began to make a scene, still angry at being ignored back on the bridge. Embarrassed by his lack of professionalism, which was loudly being supported by his overzealous fangirl, Naruto opted to sleep under the house's stilt foundation citing no hardship with the island's temperate climate. Wanting to move past Sasuke's poor showing and keep Hinata from pummeling the obviously exhausted boy into gooey paste, Kurenai waved off the arrangement with a dire facial warning to the brat. She _would_ be bringing this up at the post-mission briefing with the Hokage.

Kakashi slept on the couch and would stay there until he could move about normally. Tazuna was not pleased at the way Kakashi's team treated the blond boy and said as much; he was their comrade and that, by default, meant that Kakashi's kids could and should do better. Sasuke promptly waived off his comments as irrelevant. As the new leader and the Last Uchiha, it was important to set the working standard right away to keep good order and discipline.

Tsunami merely "_tsked"_ in annoyance; she knew entitlement when she saw it.

Naruto thanked them for their concern and asked both hosts not to worry about it. He was used to being alone and didn't mind not being crowded in a room with three other people. Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, was not convinced especially after witnessing his treatment at the hands of Sasuke and Sakura, of whom she was quickly developing a very unpleasant opinion of.

Hinata was not amused. She was so not amused that she threatened to knock Sakura out (again) if she ever raised another hand to Naruto in her presence. Odd how that forced the pink banshee to lock her mouth closed with a click.

Naruto nodded to Kurenai and went outside to set up camp beneath the house, pausing briefly to talk with her before leaving.

"Ne, Kurenai-sensei. This works for me as my Bunshin can come and go without causing problems."

Kurenai nodded with an apologetic look in her eyes. The boy noticed and gave her a warm smile, a true one that melted her heart. _'By the gods, the boy is handsome and will be a heartbreaker in a few more years if he survives this.'_

"Don't get sick on me Naruto. I have a feeling we're going to need you."

Naruto stepped out into the night without a sound. Shino, in a strong act of solidarity, moved to bunk with his teammate until Kurenai stopped him saying she needed someone in that room to keep an eye on the Uchiha. She hated to admit that she didn't trust the boy to play fair and did a credible acting job conveying her discontent, which didn't require that much acting to be honest. Shino relented and turned, for him, a very unhappy glare for their temporary teammates. He resolved to make amends to Naruto tomorrow at his earliest convenience.

Naruto, on the other hand, was met below by two of his five Bunshin.

"Report," he barked.

Once he was sure none of the shinobi above could see him in the cubby he'd found underneath the house, he immediately stripped out of his traveling attire and began to layer on his new ceramic ANBU body armor, one of the clones helping to check the straps while delivering his brief. The type two upgrade was reserved for ANBU captains or higher and carried easily over the matte black Kevlar weave fibers. Even his poly-carbonate-resin-laced body mesh felt unbelievable… light, responsive, and nonrestrictive. This was the good stuff.

Bunshin one had found the Daimyo's old house. The servants were all dead except for an old handmaiden. Both women were beaten and looked gaunt but did not have serious injuries. Both could move about but would need some healing, a good meal, and perhaps a good night's sleep or three before they could flee under their own power. There were a dozen thugs posing as samurai watching them. Nothing the Bunshin gang could not handle. The Bunshin making the report was clearly not pleased with what he saw and was anxious to correct the situation he left behind.

Bunshin two found a thug camp that would need cleaning out. It was situated between the Daimyo's house and the main village and housed nearly three hundred of Gato's goons. All but one, their apparent leader, were extremely low-grade hoodlums, the leader not much more than that only bigger in size. The bad news was that the camp reeked of sweat, cheap beer, human excrement, and sex. When Naruto's eyes narrowed, the clone merely nodded his head in rage. They were using women kidnapped from the village and abusing them sexually. To gather all of this information, the clone _Henged_ into a faceless thug and listened to conversations everywhere he could. Gato was building a crop of slaves to sell at market. The women at this camp are the "least valuable ones" unable to fetch a good price. Naruto read that to mean mothers and grandmothers past the prime age of most degenerates and pedophiles.

More and more he was getting acclimated to the idea of killing this human filth painfully, very painfully.

When he spat out orders to the clones it was with another nine lesser copies for each to back them up. He wanted a detailed map of the camp and a workable plan to free the hostages _without casualties_ before they cleared it out. When the clone asked how many bandits they wanted them to kill in the camp as a message to the rest of Gato's forces, the original responded while donning his new ANBU-style mask with, "_All_ of them."

It was the coldest sound either clone had heard.

If it was because of the shift in his speech pattern because of the mask, neither could tell. At this point, it really didn't matter to them. Both had an important mission to accomplish and they'd been given their marching orders. He would reinforce them with as many clones as they needed once their plans were finalized and approved. The "Boss," as the shadow clones often referred to him, had only two guidelines.

One, none of the innocents could be harmed any more than Gato's thugs had already done. He would provide as much manpower as they needed for that to happen so overcompensate without being a hazard to your own plan.

Two, inflict maximum suffering on the oppressors. Many of Gato's thugs had been brought with him when he invaded this country. They've made a career out of inflicting pain on the innocent and needed to learn the error of their ways. Naruto, though generally a kind soul, was averse to the suffering of the defenseless as he had grown and suffered in that kind of environment. He couldn't change his life, but he could damn well do something about it here. And he damn well would.

The clones that appeared all shared Boss's new look, their masks holding numbers instead of the "Infinity" symbol centered in the fireball resting above the masks eye slots. The two elder clones glanced at each other before making a single seal and changing their appearance to reflect the new attire. It was purely symbolic, but the image evoked strong emotions, hopefully, fearful ones in the humans they were about to brutally slay in the next twenty-four hours they'd been given to detail out their plan requirements. Besides, they liked the mask. It was cool as hell.

The face was white and smooth, almost androgynous. The eyebrows were single red dots near the innermost points above the eyes. Unlike other ANBU masks, the face narrowed slightly to a point just above the mouth before smooth lines melded it with the mouth and jawline. That point formed the greyish nose of the fox's face, no holes or slits for the mouth. Below the jaw hung nine tassels of golden fur, each tassel tied neatly with a red braid of fine silk, one centered under the face, and four more to either side. At the top of the head, two undersized ears formed points very similar to horns and a black curtain of Kevlar mesh flowed over the back of the mask wearer to obscure their hair so that the mask seemed to hover in the night without a body.

Centered in the forehead was a collage of symbology. A flame, with the aforementioned Infinity symbol centered in it, had five tiny _Fūinjutsu_ seals representing the five basic elements in a halo, almost like a crown and above those seals were nine blood-red tomoes, the points arranged towards the burst of fire in the center, wreathing the design like a peacock's tail feathers. The eyes below the gently-sloping brow ridges were clear, smooth lenses leaving no openings in the mask. It was ornate and elegantly drawn and entirely appropriate.

It was the mask of the Kitsune Taichou.

Tatsua liked it so much she released her transformation and knelt before her master (boy was that a hard-fought battle), her leader, her friend (though she'd never willingly admit it), and re-pledged her swords to his service. Naruto acknowledged her pledge by cupping her face with his hands, lifting her eyes from the floor and placing the forehead of his mask against her own. She squealed in pleasure.

When she finished and had resumed her chibi form, Naruto looked around at the clones still with him. The ones he called lesser clones, those lasting less than twenty-four hours, had numbers in the same spot on their foreheads. The minor clones, the two before him with enough chakra to last for two weeks, had letters, these two being "A" and "B" respectively. He liked it and adopted the identity scheme resolving to use the ancient Roman numeral numbering system for his Major clones, those clones holding a full ten percent of his chakra.

The remaining three minor clones returned with the rest of the island sweep just as this exchange was winding down. At some point during the next three debriefings, Naruto registered another visitor with the barest flicker of his head even as his left hand motioned for the next clone to continue with their update.

There were roughly fifty thugs at the main compound, in which they found Gato's office. Gato apparently kept his personal money stores in his office under lock and key, the key kept somewhere safe (as Gato didn't seem surprisingly creative, they guessed it was somewhere on his person). Conversations eluded to a prized captive being held somewhere in the building believed to be a Cloud nin, possibly Jounin level. Gato seemed very pleased that he'd been able to get the nuke-nin Momochi Zabuza to capture her prior to their group arriving and was torn with what to do with her. At any moment the disgusting pervert, yes, he was there and yes, he'd put eyes on the filth, was torn between using this prisoner as a sex toy, ransoming her back to her village, or having his way with her before selling her into slavery. The Naruto clone was livid and wanted to rip the bastard's testicles off.

Naruto directed him to plan in the same way he'd done the first two with the added stipulation that he not kill the slime before the original could arrive and question him. He was adamant about that requirement – they needed information from him they could not obtain once he was killed and die he would. Of that, they could all be very certain.

And while they were at it, they would just rescue this prisoner and make sure she got home in one piece. Having given his report and received his brace of supporting clones for planning purposes, clone "C" assumed his new appearance and moved to stand by the first two.

The majority of the hostages were there at Gato's headquarters. Gato had taken over the only stone compound in the village – the Mayor's business district holding the Mayor's home, the bank and a few other buildings and appeared in crowded but good health. The village was largely cleared out except for the brothel, which was filled with, yup you guessed it, more prisoners. It would need to be cleared as well. With that update, clone "D" was born.

There was another group of thugs camped out past the village by the beach. They appeared to be mildly panicked as they'd lost a bunch of ships and people recently_. _The clones all grinned beneath masks at this_._ The reporting clone estimated their numbers around one-twenty. Clone "E" received his support group and the five lieutenants lined up for final orders.

Naruto wanted detailed plans for all five target locations by this time in two nights. He wanted them ready to move in three days. That would allow them to strike while Zabuza was still out of it, if he was still alive as Kurenai thought he might be and allow him time to take care of a personal issue. Squad commanders had leeway to create as many clones as needed to preserve operational effectiveness, however, remaining undetected was paramount. They were not to engage before all plans had been finalized and squad commanders were not to jeopardize themselves unless it was absolutely necessary to prevent compromising the mission. This operation absolutely could not fail.

With sharp bows and a whispered, "Hai! Kyodai-sama!" his squads of clone operatives whisked off into the night.

Naruto smiled under his mask at the friendly title, "Elder Brother." The suffix elevated it to one of respect and an odd reflection on his previous life comprised entirely of loneliness. His new brothers would follow his orders without fail and were connected at a level deeper than any ties of blood. Their conduct gave him peace of mind he could not get from normal subordinates and provided time needed to be successful at his appointed task. That bond also gave Naruto three nights to get out to the smaller island at the southwestern tip of Wave, the land of Whirlpools, and back.

Plenty of time.

Leaving a minor clone to sleep in his place along with his backpack of basic supplies, Naruto cloaked himself in camouflage and ran off into the night, the Kyuubi humming gleefully in the back of his head.

Kurenai stepped out of the shadows, her clone above interacting with the group, so she could observe her student's actions. What she saw in his planning meeting with his clones impressed her. The young man showed a natural affinity for leadership and an amazing knack for multi-tasking. He was juggling multiple attack plans and rescue scenarios with apparent facility. Furthermore, his limitless store of chakra to pull from only made his one-man army's success a real likelihood given their opponent, and that was considering the unknown variable of Zabuza. She would have to check in on him in a couple of nights to see where they were at. As she turned to leave, the clone left behind in the sleeping bag opened his eyes and chuckled, stopping her retreat.

"I was wondering when you were going to come out. Did you enjoy the show, sensei?" Kurenai tried not to blush.

"I was very impressed by the planning debrief." Her even tone did wonders at hiding her fluttering stomach.

"He knew you were here, you know. We all did." She could not hide the slight increase of her shocked eyes. "The more he is surrounded by beautiful women, like yourself, the less mindful he is of being watched."

"That's absurd! He is half my age!" she hissed. She hoped it at least sounded sincere.

"We're not blind and you know about some of his enhanced senses." Before she could ask more, the clone raised a hand and cut her off. "When Boss trusts you enough to share the rest, he will." The clone rolled over. "Just know that he finds you desirable even if he never admits it. You're a beautiful woman. You are, however, his sensei so he'll never cross that line unless you force his hand. He respects you too much."

Kurenai swore internally. "You sound as if some of you don't agree with him."

"Some of us don't share his apprehension, just so you know." The clone lifted his head and gave her a rakish smirk. This raised questions in Kurenai's mind about mental stability and fragmented personalities. "You know it's funny how he spends all his time railing against perverts yet spends any chance he can watching you bounce around. Makes you wonder what he'd do if given half a chance…" The clone left that last part hanging in the air.

Kurenai looked down at the two flesh globes hiding her toes and smiled.

~I I I~

Off deep into the forest, Naruto sneezed underneath his mask.

~I I I~

"That doesn't mean that he isn't a normal and highly hormonal pre-teen, so it doesn't mean that we don't also dream… or even fantasize about pretty women, like you." His head returned to the nook of his elbow. "You can blame Jiraiya for his 'unhealthy' opinions about what is acceptable behavior around women. That man is a prime example of how not to act."

With that, the clone settled in and pretended to go to sleep leaving a very conflicted Yuhi Kurenai with her inappropriate thoughts… and later, dreams. Also, a new-found hatred for the toad sage.

At the same time, five squads of Naruto clones dispersed with their individual information-gathering tasks, many taking the form of rats or other small animals. In other places, stray dogs almost far too skinny to consider killing for food, lurked around camps of brigands looking for scraps and handouts. By dawn they would have memorized and compiled extremely detailed layouts of all of Gato's holdings, to include the confiscated buildings in the captive village he was using to warehouse all of the stolen goods pilfered from the citizens of Wave just to sell them in other nations.

The real Naruto reached the coast a few hours before sunrise and took stock of the smaller island across the strait. He could hear the churning ocean but could not see it clearly off of the shores of the smaller landmass just on the horizon. On a whim, he released his shape change and pushed chakra into his eyes. The distant shore zoomed into focus and he could see the enormous whirlpools, like pearls on a necklace ringing the island, just past the shoal break.

Thankful for enhanced night vision, he patted Tatsua's head one last time then began sprinting across the water. Cover of night should hide his approach from either shore.

He was so focused on his distant homeland that he missed the heavily lidded gaze of his passenger as she struggled to maintain some semblance of control.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Q&A**

Working backwards along with the reviews, I'll start with the latest one.

\- An** unidentified Guest** asks about Naruto will manage to keep hold of his Kitsune and human chakra networks indicating that Chapter 14 (where Kyuubi warns that his human network will atrophy if he doesn't utilize it) and Chapter 17 where Tamamai discovers that the Academy has been working to sabotage his chakra control (and how she's planning to help him master his human chakra network so that he can become strong enough to protect the Kitsune from humanity). That right there is the gist of those two chapters. Kyuubi warns when talking to a sleepy Tamami in the seal that he could lose the use of his human chakra if he does not use it - it's like a muscle that shrinks if you don't exercise it. This is a possible truth as his Reika network can overtake his human network if he lets it shrivel up enough through disuse. However, if Tamami helps him master his human chakra and he strengthens his human network, he can maintain a healthy balance through the Modulous Gland and learn to use both sources of chakra.

\- **Crowe8177:** I did say that this is not a harem piece and I meant it. I did not say that the CRA, or some version of it, might or might not be put into place. For the purposes of a harem, I'm referring to the traditional concept of a harem involving wives, concubines, and the progeny therein (as seen in the Ottoman, Mongolian, or other empires employing the concept). The plan is for Naruto to be involved in a polyamorous relationship instead of the dozens (to hundreds) of significant others in a harem (despite harem being defined as 'a group of women' without specific size or numbering). He will never, at most, be married to more than the three women identified in the story description - meaning polygyny, making him a polygynist, or a person married to more than one person at a time. Whether he actually marries all three is another story entirely that I will not spoil ahead of time.

\- **Lord Borhon:** I believe I answered your review at the start of the story (just the first paragraph, not the return feedback about Naruto's attack in Chapter 2). Let me know if anything was unclear or if I missed something.

_~Siva'a_


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Yes, we have officially transitioned into the Wave Arc. Just as in the anime and manga series, this is a pivotal point in the tale only not in the way you'd expect. Remember when I said that this story would delve into uncomfortable territory? Well, it's time. As a warning for those of you that may be underage or tender of heart, I caution about reading this chapter is it is this chapter, mostly for the violence in it, that earns this story its rating.

Of note, some of you seem really bothered as to whether or not I call this fic a harem piece or not. Look, I'm not going to argue the fact over and over again but, if it bothers you that much, there are plenty of actual harem stories out there for you to enjoy. I'm going to officially depart the "harem conversation" with two points for you to consider (or not):

**1.** The key part of the definition for a harem is the phrase "wives and concubines." Until Naruto crosses that threshold, it's not a harem piece. End of story. That also leads to my second and final comment of...

**2.** I actually know how this story ends. I wrote it almost two years ago. If I tell you that this isn't a harem piece then trust that I know what I'm talking about. Just because someone is romantically interested in more than one person doesn't automatically make it a harem piece.

Hrm, I believe that's as close to a spoiler as I've ever come to giving my readers?

Enjoy!

**Author's Post Script:** * Traditional Japanese Lyrics courtesy of World Arbiter WA2019, texts and translations by Dr. Naoko Terauchi, Kobe University.

~Siva'a-tasi~

~III~

* * *

**Chapter 19: Who Says You Can't Go Home?**

~III~

* * *

The run across choppy waters was peaceful if nothing else. With Tatsua snuggled up tightly in his jacket, Naruto found the sprint across the Uzu straight almost soothing... at least it was soothing up until he could see the swarm of violent whirlpools surrounding the lifeless shores of Uzu no Kuni.

"Those might pose a problem."

_'Hnh? Izz zomezing...' _ Tatsua's mind wandered off and that concerned him a bit as well. Even speaking through the _Spirit Seal_ she sounded a bit... _unclear_, almost drunk. Standing calmly with his body bobbing across the crests and swells all around him, Naruto watched very closely as his traveling companion peeked out from beneath his jacket and shook her head repeatedly to clear it, her normally ovoid pupils like cavernous pools of ink nearly absorbing the honeyed disks until a thin sliver remained.

He was aware of what his pheromones did to female Kitsune; Kyuubi had intended for the hormonal overdose as a protection measure until he was strong enough to physically defend himself. He was also aware of what his pheromone production could do to human women in general, the more feral the woman (as in the case of Inuzuka Hana) the stronger the reaction. Naruto had only recently been made aware of the filtering seal worn at the base of the neck by both his handmaidens - as well as the limitations that came with it since the seal in no way provided immunity.

He would need to give her some space and a lot of fresh air to purge her system once they got ashore or things might become complicated.

That would have to wait for now as the urgency of Tatsua's slightly intoxicated condition sparked an equally _slightly_ crazy idea.

_Rotation. _

_Power. _

_Approach._

Never one to be included in the playground games that passed for entertainment among other kids in a shinobi village, Naruto had plenty of time to observe (from a distance) what passed for "other kids just being kids." Most of it was fairly benign through the natural establishment of the "Playground Food Chain," until clan kids learning how to unlock their chakra networks got involved. One particular rite of passing involved use of the standard merry-go-round in a king of the hill style game referred to as "the Wheel of Death"; the first child in a group would gain control of the death contraption and control its speed to either allow or prohibit other kids from joining while other groups attempted to seize control for their team. Matches invariably ended in cuts, abrasions, and wailing children from all walks of life as they were flung off the dangerous contraption.

For one never subjected to the boo-boos associated with this pastime, kids being propelled off the usually multi-colored disks always brought a smile to his face as he tried to predict where their launch velocity and trajectory would send them. He'd ask for extra fishcake from Teuchi-jiji if he was within three degrees or ten meters of the neighboring sandbox. Hey, he had to amuse and reward himself somehow, didn't he?

In any event, the destructive water formations reminded him so very much of that particular childhood nightmare and his slightly crazy plan to get safely across.

Naruto blinked lining up with the receding rotation of a whirlpool. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, his sprint started with one careful step quickly followed by another until the roar of rushing water blocked out any other sound. One powerful leap augmented by the increased chakra pushed to the souls of his combat sandals carried him to the furthest edge of his chosen swirl, his feet touching down as he modified the Ghost Step to both keep him afloat and in-place on the edge of the whirlpool as it attempted to sweep him along.

If not for the fact that he was frantically trying to maintain his middling chakra control he might not have noticed the unusually strong pull on not only his sandal but his entire chakra network. It felt as if the water itself was trying to pull him beneath the waves even as he felt a strong - yet brief - drain on his chakra reserves, the toes of his sandals briefly dipping below the water's surface.

He compensated by bursting a strong pulse of chakra down through the sole of his footwear to counteract the pull, which oddly enough completely canceled the unexpected pull on his chakra. Naruto shrugged off the sensation and allowed the rushing edge to increase his momentum, very much like a catapult, and sent a second burst of chakra into the water allowing the whirlpool to slingshot him right out of the pool and into the safety of the calmer shoreline.

Once clear of the raging pools, he found the coast fairly relaxing and peaceful. Naruto paused for just a moment to look back at the spinning discs of water musing how it felt as if the whirlpool itself, for just a moment, had tried to latch on to the bottom of his sandal. It was almost like it wanted to pull him under.

He shrugged again and ran deeper inland pushing the thought away for now.

Twenty minutes of steady travel brought him to the ruins of Uzushiogakure itself and the still-sealed temple proper of his clan. The village was gutted, the homes that were left standing retained barely a corner of their original structure. Most were just a ring of stone marking the floor layout. The temple itself looked untouched, preserved from the ravages of time by the transparent blue dome reaching up from the gates and surrounding the whole structure.

Then he saw the skeletons littering the landscape.

~III~

* * *

Tazuna was not having a good morning. Breakfast was fine. Conversation with the pretty Kurenai-chan and her team was pleasant, but everything turned to crap the moment that one-eyed bastard and his team started skulking about like they owned the world. Having ruined the pleasant conversation of the morning, Tazuna groused about getting his day started as the teams split up their responsibilities for the afternoon.

Leaving Kiba and his puppy to guard the house while Hinata tended the still broken cyclops, the "Bridge Team" rolled out to the tune of quiet grumbling.

Walking along the road to his bridge Tazuna tried to keep a smile on his face, Naruto, the quiet Shino, and their sensei walking next to him while that pink harpy cooed alongside her knight in shining polyester. It was very difficult to deal with the way those two treated everyone else, as if _everyone_ was beneath them, and he tried not to think about how the horrible child's sensei was harassing the sweet Hinata back at the house. Sure, the man was injured but it wasn't nearly as bad as he was making it seem.

Tazuna saw him hop up to sneak another biscuit earlier that morning when no one was around and his face soured.

Reaching the worksite, Tazuna rallied his dwindling workforce and set to it. Shino and Kurenai took up watch positions not too far from the workers. Naruto, the considerate guy that he was, stripped off his orange and black jacket and jumped into the labor pool, the fox around his neck hopping down to curl up in his garment next to his leggy sensei.

Kami that woman was beautiful.

The boy immediately set about doing the work of twenty men, much to the gap-mouthed surprise of the workers twice his size on Tazuna's team. Strong was not an apt description.

The heavy beams they needed multiple guys and hoists to move he could pick up by himself and lug around like a bag of sand. By taking up the heaviest tasks, the group was able to move some of the major joists and supports first thing in the morning and make up some of their lost time without having to set up heavy machinery and he worked non-stop like this was a game to him or… a workout perhaps?

Morale soared and the young nin was generally chatty and pleasant to be around, so the once sour faces of his labor crew reluctantly began to, bit by bit, lighten up. Faces that once dragged the rest of their lethargic carcasses around the bridge began to gradually brighten and, by the time they broke for lunch, the crew was actually singing work songs again, each one singing out the first verse of a song he knew with the others joining in once they recognized the tune. Buoyed by the presence of shinobi and the uncompromisingly cheerful demeanor of the golden gaki, doom and gloom just had no place to hide while his team labored the morning away. It swelled Tazuna's chest as singing just wasn't something he'd heard since Gato first arrived with his goons.

Tazuna wiped the sweat from his brow as Taji, who with Gou's help was sawing some of the larger lumber hauled over by Naruto, broke out into an old song he used to hear daily down by the harbor when Wave's fishing was the life's blood of this small nation. With a hearty clap and cry, Tazuna lifted his maul for driving pegs and joined in on the next support beam singing at the chorus points with all his heart.

_(**A/N:** *Amiokoshi-kiyari [] = sung by chorus)_

_Toto tottokoshido [e] yoiyasa [e yoiyasa]_

_Yoisora [sora eiya harahara dokkoi yoitoko yoitoko na]_

_Korae Matumae-sama wa funa no kamija [yoitona]_

_[sora eiya harahara dokkoi yoitoko yoitoko na]_

_Korae kono ami okoseba yae [yoitona]_

_Sora kono ami okoseba senryô manryô da [yoitona]_

_[sora eiya harahara dokkoi yoitoko yoitoko na]_

It was a song asking Lord Matsumae, the God of Ships, for a good haul leading to prosperity. It harkened back to happier days in the village and the driving beat of their feet stomping in time on the wooden decking of the bridge had everyone heaving, sawing, and hammering to the same tempo. It was steady. It was hypnotic. For the downtrodden men on Tazuna's crew, it was cathartic.

When the first verse round finished, Gou clapped his hands three times and started up one more round. Even Naruto, whose eyes continually swept the area for danger while he worked, was singing along. By the time the song wrapped up with hearty cheers and sweaty men clapping each other on the back, the mood was light and uplifting. Wives and children brought lunches to the workers and the group seemed to Tazuna, for the briefest of moments, like the village of old. It seemed like the village he grew up in once again.

He used his neckerchief to quietly wipe the tear from his eye under the pretense of removing the sweat and grime of his labor.

"He has that effect on people, those willing to let him into their lives."

Tazuna jumped never once noticing Kurenai sneaking up on him. Once his heartbeat settled, he reminded himself that these folks were still lethal, and he was glad to have Nai-chan's team watching his back.

"Gomen, Tazuna-san. I did not mean to startle you."

He waved it away as he accepted a bento from Tsunami who had brought lunch for him and Nai-chan's team using the odd storage device Naruto shared with the small family the night before (it miraculously had enough food to last them an entire month!). She pointedly ignored the Uchiha's indignant squawking reminding him that they'd eaten all the snacks she sent for the entire group and that they shouldn't be hungry. If they were, they knew where the kitchen was back at the house. As Sakura couldn't cook to save her life, they merely sat grumbling at Team Eight.

"He is a beacon of light. Do you know…"

His words died off as his eyes looked back across the bridge to a pair of Gato's thugs strolling through the middle of town. He cursed quietly as the happy sounds of a few moments ago began to die off when the rest of the workforce noticed them, more than a few calloused arms wrapping protectively around their spouses and children.

They were strolling brazenly through the middle of town, periodically one would lunge out to a darting female with a lecherous growl not really trying to catch her (yet) but reveling in the fear they caused. Each held a wooden baton over their shoulder leaving their swords belted to their sides. The batons could only mean one thing.

Gato's "Bounty Men" were out again collecting the imaginary "taxes" Gato levied on the town to keep them poor and desperate.

Tazuna moved sideways to stand protectively in front of Tsunami and bumped into something far more solid. With jerky movements he turned to see Naruto's firmly set jaw standing before his daughter and sighed proudly at the young man. He would let no one harm her and Tazuna felt a brief pang of guilt knowing that the boy couldn't protect the entire village in the same manner. He was only one boy, even if he was a ninja, and he could only do so much.

Turning back to the duo that had managed to completely kill what little camaraderie they'd built over the morning, he gasped as they stopped in front of a small home belonging to the village baker.

"Nooooooo…" Tazuna's voice was brittle enough a small breeze could have shattered it. Gato's thugs had stopped in front of Daido and Etsudo's bakery. They had children, a boy around Inari's age and a daughter no older than Hinata-chan. He thought her name was Emica, a fitting name for a charming little girl.

"Please Kami, no." It was a plea for help.

A growl erupted from Naruto's mouth as the thugs kicked in the front door and the screaming began. A few moments later, a man in his early thirties was pushed down into the street, the thugs hitting him with the batons and kicking him with their sandaled feet asking where Gato's levy was. The woman was screaming and clutching her kids to her body while begging for mercy, or help, or both. Her frantic eyes searched up and down the street only to catch the bright halo of Naruto's sunlit hair standing next to Tazuna.

Naruto's clone turned to hand his bento to Tsunami and began purposely walking forward.

"And where do you think you're going, _Dobe_?" Sasuke's callous question sucked every ounce of hope from the air that the peaceful crowd was building up once the blond began moving.

"How can someone calling me stupid be so dense as to need me to explain what is right and wrong?"

"Right and wrong have nothing to do with it," snarked the "elite Uchiha."

The clone turned to sneer at the dark-haired elitist who had moved up to watch the show thinking there might be an attack on the bridge so that he could "prove himself." The disgust in his face showed how disappointed he was as he watched the show, but his words cut through the eerily silent workforce and everyone turned to see the drama play out, their eyes darting back to the two who had also paused in their abuse to see if the Leaf nins would try anything.

The clone turned to ignore the boy and kept walking but the Uchiha would not let it go.

"Keep walking and I'll write your whole team up for insubordination. If Kurenai-san is lucky, she'll be able to get a job working in the farmer's market selling produce." Sasuke took another healthy bite out of the apple in his hand, tossing the half-eaten object to the dusty earth and pulling another from his backpack.

"How very mercenary of you." You could hear the disgust in the blond's voice as the clone turned to glare at the self-proclaimed leader.

"WHY!? They need our help so why won't you let me help them?!" The faces of Tazuna's crew and family said it all: _Let him help! _

The Uchiha was unmoved.

"Then they should have paid for it." The smug clan heir took a patient bite out of the apple in his hand and smirked at the seething Tazuna. "As it is now, they paid for us to protect this bridge builder from brigands and, so long as _they_," his hand lazily indicated the two thugs mugging the bread maker, "stay on that side of the bridge, we can't touch them. We don't work for charity AND YOU," he exaggerated this by lifting one finger from the gouged fruit in his hand and stabbing it in Naruto's direction, "…will do exactly as ordered or your entire team will pay the price once we get back to Konoha."

The clone was so angry it vibrated with rage, the veins sticking out on his neck as his breath came out in a strangled snarl. He wanted to rip the Uchiha limb from limb but a fight with the teme might, as there was always the possibility, damage him exposing the original and risking the plan, which would have been much worse. Naruto had been very explicit the night before on not risking the plan so he stood rooted and angry, his smoldering eyes boring into the Uchiha heir trying to silently gouge out his heart.

"You would abandon these people? Just watch them die?!" Naruto-clone's eyes narrowed dangerously earning a disturbingly heartless laugh from the Uchiha.

"_Dobe_, I'd abandon you if someone paid me enough."

When the thugs behind him roared with laughter the clone swore bitterly as the families around him looked on in misery and panic. Then the light seemed to dawn as the clone's eyes ballooned.

"So, you're saying that we can do nothing so long as they stay off the bridge, and I have to stay on the bridge no matter what... right?"

Sasuke was deliberate about his answer as he tried to roll the blond's words over in his mind looking for a loophole. Given that the "Class Dobe" never had much in the way of skills, Sasuke couldn't see a way for Kurenai's team to wiggle out of his limitations so his smirk returned with confidence.

"Yeah, _Dobe_. That's exactly what I'm saying. You have to stay here but feel free to watch if you want." With an arrogant snort, the Uchiha turned away to resume his lounging, his teeth taking another bite out of his fruit only to spit a soft section out and over the unfinished bridge railing.

"That works for me," Naruto-clone snarled back shocking and surprising more than just the watching bridge-building team.

Sasuke turned to look over his shoulder and sneered in reply - just in time to see two clones shimmer into being without smoke or noise. Before he could intervene or adjust his order, the clones dashed off towards the abused family at the end of the bridge fists and flying kicks leading the way.

Without an order to prompt them, the copies became blurs as they shot across the bridge barreling into the thugs as one raised back a hand to slap the mother down in her efforts to keep her daughter from their less than honorable intentions. The laughter of two men about to commit unspeakable acts ended as fists began to rain down upon their heads and shoulders.

Tazuna's smile of relief turned to an evil smirk as the two thugs that had been terrorizing the village for weeks collecting Gato's tithes grunted and groaned in time to the meaty punches and kicks knocking them repeatedly to the ground. Once the clones relieved them of their swagger sticks the route officially began.

One of the thugs screamed painfully in a very unmanly pitch.

Naruto-clone, for his part, calmly picked up his mallet whistling the same tune the work crew had been singing at the tops of their lungs not twenty minutes before.

"What?!" The clone's dislike of the duck-haired heir was clear on his face as he paused mid-whistle.

"Did you not hear me, you idiot!?" The Uchiha was red-faced and spitting mad.

"Of course I did." The clone was looking extremely smug now. "I'm still on the bridge, aren't I?"

Sasuke's rage sputtered out, his wrinkled brows relaxing as his eyes began stupidly blinking at the truth of the situation. He did, however, make a mental note about the solid clones the class dead last suddenly knew how to make as his mind plotted how to force the idiot to teach him the technique.

When the two thugs eventually staggered off saying that they'd be back to get even (and with more help), Naruto's tune had been picked up by the remaining workers and soon the entire crew was whistling and stomping their feet in time to hammers, saws, and mallets. Much to Sasuke's simmering disappointment, his popularity among Wave's citizens began taking a rapid nosedive, several of the workers spitting on the dry earth in his general direction. When the blond Genin-clone began smashing rivet welds into the heavy industrial links to the bridge support structure with one hand, the maul crushing them effortlessly into the beams with the rhythmic stomp of his fellow workers, Tazuna began clapping in time, picked up his maul and went to join the boy. In due time, the entire work crew kissed their families goodbye and merrily went back to work.

By the end of the day, the entire village knew of the Uchiha's treachery and unilaterally named him unwelcome and unwanted.

Just like that, the Konoha Elite and the Konoha Pariah switched roles in the tiny island village by the sea and Kurenai's team would have fresh bread every day that work continued in Nami.

~III~

* * *

The notes he found in the Uzu journal, notes he later learned to have been written in two distinct female hands, mentioned that only an Uzumaki of royal blood could pierce the dome without fear. Naruto prayed with all his heart that the sword he received in the lacquered box meant what was implied in the journal and stepped forward. Just in case he pulsed his chakra armor and enclosed Tatsua in its tender blue embrace.

The exterior shield protecting the temple made his skin tingle along the tribal tattoo Tamami had sealed across his shoulders with chakra. Something pulsed once he was completely past the barrier, the middle of his back burning with a faint hissing sound. Tatsua whimpered but did not cry out. He pointedly ignored the smell of his own skin cooking, checked Tatsua to make sure she was okay, and approached the large double doors of the temple building noting the embroidered curtains covering the entryway. The cloth held embroidered masks ranging from bakemono, monsters, kabuki caricatures, and some resembling the ANBU masks he'd seen in Konoha. With a deep breath, he pushed through the screen into the veranda.

The sun was coming up by the time he reached the blood seal on the temple's main doors. Biting his thumb and rubbing blood on the seals of both doors, the opening maw purged much like the ones on his family home in Konoha and the lacquered box given by the Hokage. The only difference here was the hiss of fresh air breaking the vacuum seal below was a memorial on his clan's history that hadn't been broken in over two decades. He descended roughly twenty feet down a short flight of stairs, the light from outside highlighting the large chamber's contents.

Lining the back half of the room sat rows and rows of benches, behind which lay smaller tables and what appeared to be religious paraphernalia. Along the wall to his right lay a shelf with a dozen leather-bound books, below which lay a table covered in a table cloth of crimson silk embroidered with spirals along the bottom edge, the symbol of Uzushiogakure. On the cloth was a sword stand, the lower brace empty but the upper brace holding the mated pair to the sword he now carried in one of the four storage seals inscribed on his forearms (Tamami had convinced him to add another pair since you just never knew when you'd need it).

Naruto was glad that he'd listened. The pair on his left forearm stored his high-quality kunai and shuriken in one and his punch knives, and tanto when not strapped to his back, in the other. The first of two seals on his right arm carried his important mission gear and valuables too precious to leave unattended. The fourth he left empty as extra, glad that he'd mastered the use of high-capacity storage seals and Tamami's ability to selectively seal and retrieve items from the seals without having to empty the entire extra-dimensional space.

He spent a few minutes glancing through the tomes before storing them in the first seal of his right arm along with the table cloth, sword stand, and matched katana. They were books ranging from Uzu's history and customs to a full range of priceless _fūin_ tomes! Once finished, he turned his attention back to the floor.

Between him and the back part of the room, the floor glowed with the light of eight seals arrayed in a circle around a larger central one. The seals pulsed in different hues, all to the thrum of a human heartbeat. The final pages of the journal he'd inherited laid out a very detailed ceremony, one Naruto had practiced day and night for weeks after receiving those gifts from the Hokage. Once again, he thanked the Kyuubi for the incredible gift that was his memory, wondering not for the first time if there was a storage limit on the human brain.

_**"You are welcome, Kit, but if you really want to thank me you'll need to visit me soon."**_ Naruto nodded, his grim face breaking into a warm smile. He had lost track of the time busy in his new life and had neglected his first friend. He would need to make amends properly for his poor manners.

Naruto set Tatsua down on the now vacant table along with his mask, shirt, greaves that he used to cover his seals, and mesh undergarment. Bare from the waist up (and ignoring Tatsua's petulant growling), Naruto sat cross-legged next to the center seal and began the fifty-seal sequence, carefully molding the chakra needed to pierce the chakra curtain and summon the Nine Elders of Uzushiogakure.

Deep in the mindscape, Kyuubi held her breath.

His chakra released in tendrils of visible chakra tentacles, each seeking out and flowing into a seal on the ground like smoke. As more and more chakra streams were pulled into the swirling motes and curling streaks of the seal arrays, the pulsating constructs slowly increased the tempo of their steady rhythm. As the final traces vanished into the floor, each seal burst into constant energy becoming a searchlight pointed at the ceiling above. The intensity of the light grew until Naruto had to close his eyes or risk permanent damage before one final burst of power echoed from nine points simultaneously, sending nine waves of chakra out as cascading ripples through the boy's body. When he blinked his eyes open, he found himself in a ring of nine much older men in robes matching the colors of the gently glowing runes at their feet. The middle elder smiled warmly to the boy at his feet and Naruto, feeling suddenly very sheepish, scrambled up from the floor and bowed hastily before the man in white robes.

"Greetings young Uzumaki-sama. I am Uzumaki Ienaga. It is so very good to finally meet you." He returned the bow with a severe one of his own. "We were beginning to think we would have to suffer Kasai-kun's irritable mood swings for centuries before we were recovered."

Naruto grinned as he straightened and glanced at the younger, if one grey streak of hair in the middle of a beard that reached his belt counted as younger, elder's irritated glare.

"Ano, Ienaga-san. Shouldn't I be the one to defer to you?"

Ienaga chuckled and shook his head gently without reproach. "We have much to teach you, Ōji-sama. Royalty does not defer to those that serve and we," he indicated the nine elders, "serve the royal House of Uzumaki." His head tilted sideways a little, his eyes taking on a youthful glint at odds with his sparkling white hair and beard. "We serve you, Uzumaki-sama."

"Naruto." Ienaga raised an eyebrow.

"My name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto is just fine with me." Ienaga bowed deeply at the waist again.

"As you wish, Naruto-sama." Naruto sighed.

"You're not going to change, are you?" Ienaga's grin returned.

"I am too old to change Naruto-sama. Please forgive my old ways." Naruto shrugged. He had a feeling he was going to like this old man.

"Sure thing, Ienaga-jiji." This time several of the others chuckled. Ienaga simply cleared his throat.

"I assume you are prepared for the second part of this ceremony, Naruto-sama?" Naruto nodded but Ienaga looked concerned. Surely the boy could not be that strong. "But… where are your mediators?"

Naruto pulsed his chakra and two minor clones appeared. Ienaga had to reassess his opinion of the lad. Those clones were fairly solid and powerful. The boy standing before him hadn't batted an eye nor looked remotely winded.

As Naruto resumed his lotus, the clones kneeled beside him, placed one hand on each shoulder, and raised the other up into the air while channeling their chakra in a reinforcement cloak that enveloped the three of them. Once they indicated they were prepared, the nine began a long, droning chant, hands flashing through identical seal sequencing, their bodies absorbing the seals at their feet while being converted into spheres of pure chakra. Those spheres began orbiting around the room and, at predetermined intervals, shot to the outstretched hands of the clones. Their energy was absorbed into the chakra armor of the clones and funneled into Naruto's seated body, that energy coalescing into an identical but smaller seal on his skin.

The pain for the first one was excruciating, the second one forming immediately after made the boy's vision swim. The clones nodded to each other after the first two seals appeared on his abdomen each one appearing above one of the seal spikes located around the eight-point tetragram seal matrix holding the Kyuubi, near it but not overlapping. Once the pain and sizzling flesh had stopped burning with the last of the foreign chakra taking up residence in the new seals, one clone switched to deadening the pain receptors in the boy's body and began pushing healing _Reiatsu_ into him to ease the discomfort. The other clone would receive the next orb and transfer it to Naruto's chakra network where the foreign chakra would attach itself to another tenketsu point. The clones would then alternate responsibilities as the chakra armor was the bigger drain on resources. As they worked through the next three hours, the nine seals took up residence on their new host.

The five primary elemental seals arrayed themselves like points on a crown along the upper hemisphere of the Kyuubi's seal - _Doton, Futon, Katon, Raiton, and Suiton_. The remaining four found homes, one on each shoulder and one on each pectoral. The infusion of chakra eventually forced the boy to pass out, the last clone to maintain the shield also burning up the last of his stores in protecting his host. For the one that remained, he hoped he had enough to remain until the Boss woke up. The sun was going down and he didn't have much chakra left. He had to switch his diagnostic off and on to make sure Boss' vitals remained strong since Tatsua did not have the ability to check.

He had no doubt that she could protect him. He just knew she couldn't heal him, so the clone hung on as long as he could. In the end, it wasn't enough.

Naruto didn't know how long he had been out. The light of day from the doors above had given way to nightfall once again. He didn't know if it was the same day or the next. As it was, he felt like a fully loaded merchant cart had run him over.

At some point, Tatsua had assumed her full Kitsune form and was sitting cross-legged with his tanto across her lap. She told him that he'd been unconscious most of the day and that the second clone expired several hours ago.

He nodded numbly in return and realized how much his entire body hurt. It felt like when Kyuubi first changed him into a Kitsune – every square inch hurt. Otherwise, he felt fully recharged and, unfortunately, alert and that also meant alert to every ache and pain. Kami, even his eyelids hurt.

He knew it would be a matter of time before Kyuubi could flush whatever residual poisons were left in his system, so he surged unsteadily to his feet and reached for his gear...and nearly fell on his face.

Huh, his balance felt off for some reason. It must be a side effect. He hoped it would pass.

Tatsua saw his intent and grabbed his arms. One by one, she brought his things and helped her Taichou don his armor, their close proximity making her eyes glaze over once again. He had finished his task and needed to return to complete his mission and that meant preparing for battle. Given their numerous discussions about how this might turn out, she still wasn't sure how she had made it into the outer dome or down into the shrine not being of noble Uzumaki blood, but she was going to make the most out of it having been privileged to observe it all. Tamami would be livid and she smiled secretly at that fact.

She carefully slipped the mesh shirt back on and retied his _waidate_ back over his forearms. His short-sleeved shirt followed, secured by the dark obi. The ceramic body armor plates followed and then the overlapping tactical vest was clicked into place. Once he was comfortable with the fit, she leaned forward and gently kissed his lips, just the briefest of touches before handing him his mask. She'd noted the seals inside the smooth faceplate and wondered what they did. That was a question for later perhaps.

Murmuring, "Mind your new tail," she changed into her chibi form with a loud "pop" and perched back on his neck (this new armor made climbing his growing form easier with all of the extra pouches and straps). Naruto glanced back once the shock of her statement wore off and, sure as water was wet, stood dumbfounded as a fourth tail snaked back and forth with its three brothers.

"Kuso!" That explained the sudden loss of balance.

Staggering up the stairs, he fought furiously to reignite his chakra enough to flickeringly cover them both then stumbled back into the night air and down to the beach.

He didn't fully understand everything that happened to his body, but he figured out the impact of it right away, well, at least as soon as he attempted to walk on water and his sandal sunk to the bottom of the shallows like a fishing weight. Looking angrily over his shoulder at the fourth tail waving peacefully behind him confirmed what he feared. He'd gained another tail and his chakra control had immediately been shot to pieces.

Most likely his entire chakra network had been stretched and forced to grow in order to accommodate the nine chakra constructs. The enormous surge of energy spawned another modulous growth spurt and, as a result, another tail. In the end, he knew that this was all for the better but, for now, it sucked major duck butt.

With a heavy sigh, he pulsed chakra to his limiters and immediately regained some measure of control again, even if it took three tries to get them activated and he cursed again. LOUDLY. He was thinking a swear jar might be in order at this rate.

He didn't have nearly half of his original level of control, but he had hadn't totally lost everything either. He - with his limiters active - retained just enough control to shakily resume the water-borne leg back to Wave. Did he have enough control without limiters to start a war with Gato's forces? Perhaps not but it would have to work.

He would have to develop a plan with what he had. Given that he still had two days left (some of his lesser clones had just begun expiring), he could afford to take a day to try and build back some of his lost combat effectiveness. He would need it.

With a sigh, he turned back to the ruins and hunkered down in a partial shelter absently noticing that the clones he created to bury his deceased clan were finished with their grisly task.

With the temple resealed, Naruto didn't want to return there unless he absolutely had to. With the shield still active, he didn't want to risk leaving more evidence of his passage and he wasn't going to tempt the same hand of fate that let him take Tatsua into and out of the shrine with him the first time. He couldn't explain why she wasn't hurt beyond a little singed fur, although he had a good idea that it was largely dependent on his impromptu chakra cloak overpowering her own chakra effectively hiding her from the protective shield. Problem was that he didn't think his chakra control was steady enough to repeat it, therefore, he wasn't about to chance it back-to-back. He had been careless in his homecoming excitement and had been extremely fortunate that Tatsua was not forced to pay the price.

Naruto would not risk her again.

With his body resting again in the lotus position, he gnashed his teeth in concentration and pushed as much chakra into his favorite jutsu. His head spun, the first time in a very long time that he remembered that happening but, when the smoke cleared, three thousand lesser Naruto clones sat in ring after ring after ring, fanning out in kneeling positions focused on the "Boss." Naruto was disgusted with his reduced control but knew exactly what would help fix it.

"You all know what to do. You have until this time tomorrow night." Three thousand voices rang out with a resounding, "Ossu!" before bursting into action all across the island to focus on random acts of chakra control. Naruto, resting quietly and trying to calm his labored breathing, patiently sat while his chakra began to refill itself.

_**"While you're taking in the scenery, come talk with me."**_

Her voice was pouty, almost petulant. Naruto couldn't ever imagine the ridiculously powerful Kyūbi no Kitsune acting that way yet here she was. He grinned and centered himself, the familiar tug on his mind drawing him into the sitting room almost immediately. He was seated at the tea-table before the very familiar, and slightly older face, of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

And if he wasn't already so tired, he would have fallen over from shock.

She had grown since he was last here, her face aging from the cute eight-year-old to the teenager growing into her maturing features. There was still baby fat in her features, but they were lengthening, becoming smoother. In time, she would grow into a fine woman, no, a fine Kitsune.

Some of her features were developing faster than others. He guessed she was somewhere between twelve and fifteen years of age. She was older than him, for sure but it was difficult to narrow down. It was a rough approximation looking only at her face. Her body seemed to be developing faster from what he could see from her seated position behind the opposite side of the table. What he could see, from her now partially open kimono, was an increasingly growing expanse of bosom that she knew he enjoyed ogling. Naruto pried his eyes from her cleavage and forced himself to focus on her face.

**"Welcome back, kit."** Naruto smiled and took a sip from his cup of tea. It never ceased to amaze him, the texture of the cup, the warmth of the drink, the herbal smell in his nostrils... The mindscape was an amazing place.

"Thank you. When did they get here?" He motioned to the nine statues lining the hallway behind him.

**"They popped in as you absorbed them through your Uzumaki ritual. We had a chance to talk briefly before you released an army of clones and drained them nearly empty. The old one was the last to go and he squeaked out that they'd be back once you had enough chakra to recharge them."**

"Why do they need my chakra?" Kyūbi shrugged and he fought the delicious urge to watch her chest jiggle.

**"Before those old men died, they converted their bodies into chakra constructs. Your absorbing them transferred those constructs to your body, the influx revamping your chakra matrix and surging your coils."** She folded her arms and leaned forward to rest them on the table, the immediate effect on her chest made his eyes twitch.

She smiled evilly.

**"The added benefit is the extra tail. The unfortunate side effect, well, you saw what it did to your chakra control hence the slightly smaller munchkin army."**

"A what?!"

**"Nevermind. It was before your time,"** she quickly cut him off hoping to avoid a discussion about ancient movies. She very deliberately, and without shame, ran her eyes along his lean frame.** "Unlike most chakra constructs, because they are tied to your tenketsu network, these geezers can recharge their matrices and remain with you as long as you are alive, which is a very long time for a Kitsune. You will outlive pretty much everyone you know in Konoha."**

Naruto's face went pale.

**"Yes, especially your wives to be."**

"Can't you fix that like you fixed me?" She shook her head without hesitation. _Jiggle, jiggle. TWITCH._

**"No, not so long as I'm in here. If your medical skills ever improved to decent levels, you could learn the bloodline theft jutsus and do it yourself. Until then…"** She spread her hands, the motion causing her chest to make disturbing palpitations.

Naruto performed a Herculean feat and stared very determinedly at the cup between his two hands. He stared for a very long time. Sensing her growing mirth, he made a tactical evasion and changed the subject.

"Do I need to worry about the chakra drain?" Kyūbi returned her forearms under the warm cover of her bosom making them bulge much to his distracted distress.

**"No, I've been watching their chakra networks and the drain from each is about the same as one of your lesser Kage bunshin. You shouldn't even notice it."** He sighed, the effort deflating his shoulders.

"Thank you for keeping me company Kyūbi." She waved him off.

**"I won't admit that I missed you…but I did."** Her tails fluttered serenely behind her. **"I didn't realize how quiet it is in here without those guys staring at my chest. I may ask you to purge your chakra from time to time when I need a break from them."**

Naruto nodded his head and laughed before plunging into dangerous territory.

"You don't seem to mind me looking." Her eyebrow raised slightly. "Either that or you just like torturing me."

Kyūbi lazily traced a finger along the lower neckline of her partially-open kimono. **"You're always welcome to look, kit."** Her head tilted a little to one side. **"You're also welcome to do more than look. I have nine tails to lock you in place for a reason, you know."**

Naruto had just enough time to turn his head before spitting tea out of his mouth in a fine plume. "Y-Y-You're a being made of chakra inside my brain! You don't even have a body!" She waved that away as well so as not to have to explain that his assumption was incorrect.

**"Chakra being or not, a girl has needs. Also, instincts and all that."** Her eyes took on a particularly feral gleam. **"Besides, you don't want your first time with your vixens to be an embarrassment, do you?"** He blushed and sputtered for a few minutes.

She hopped up, her chest bouncing mightily, before storming over and plopping down onto his lap. One of her hands set his cup back onto the table then she used that same hand to fully hoist open one side of her kimono and the other to grab his hand and slap it onto her now uncovered breast, giving him a firm squeeze to boot. Naruto's brain nearly short-circuited.

It was warm. It was incredibly soft. Her nipple was poking his palm and he could feel the heat from her body. She felt like a real girl.

Kyūbi decided to spare him further embarrassment. **"Think it over Kit. You're safe with me, you know that, right?"** He nodded. **"We can discuss the benefits of making love to a chakra being when you're older... and more comfortable."**

She returned to her side of the table while adjusting her kimono. Naruto bowed once to the nine-tailed demon. Not trusting his voice, he released his hold on his mindscape and returned to the outside world. It was considerably darker now, but he could see Tatsua sitting cross-legged in front of him and her smile was blinding.

"Welcome back, Taichou." He returned the smile, giving himself time to evaluate how he felt. His body ached less and the memories of a few more clones back on the main island were coming back to him.

"We will leave tomorrow night." Sua-chan nodded even as she rose and unsealed roasted rabbit and earthy greens.

"You need to replenish your strength." She kneeled in front of his legs, her hands holding out portions for him to eat.

"And you, Sua-chan?" His concern always made her warm inside. Maybe he wasn't so bad after- she tried to violently brush aside those thoughts as she fought another wave of his annoying pheromones.

"I am fine, Taichou. I ate while you were sealed away talking to Kyūbi-sama." She froze when Naruto reached out and touched her cheek. Eyes wide, her back stiffened momentarily before he pulled her into a warm and passionate kiss, the shock of which forced her to inhale sharply in surprise. Despite trying to purge her sinuses since they arrived, her eyes immediately dilated and a burning heat rushed through her body from one pair of lips to the other.

Before she knew it, his tentative lips touching hers gave way to passionate tongue wrestling, the heat building in her core, and the food in her hands long-forgotten as she desperately pressed her body against his. Deep inside her, something melted as that growing bundle of warmth flashed into a scorching blaze.

Whether or not he'd admit to it, Kyūbi made a good point. No man wanted to be clumsy and uneducated when it comes to being intimate with their loved ones and he knew next to nothing. He knew that the Twins had feelings for him, Tamami more so than Tatsua, and he wasn't ignorant of their repeated offers to be intimate. While he wasn't planning on taking advantage of their offers just yet as he was far to young for that sort of thing, he did want to learn and the best way to do that is with practice and Tatsua had the softest lips despite her gruff exterior.

They didn't seem to mind his clumsy kisses before. Maybe they would practice with him from time to time? It was a wild guess and a very selfish desire, but he was also a hormonal teen and he'd try if they let him.

By the time the kissing session had reached a fevered crescendo and petered out, they were both breathless and very touchy. For long moments, they just sat there with their eyes locked and their breath ragged.

"I know that Kitsune have very different beliefs when it comes to... being physical with each other." The still breathless Kitsune nodded clearly unsure where this was going, her ears and tails unfurling slowly from her transformation. Naruto, though worried for her sudden change, just smiled up at her and gently pushed a loose strand of her hair up over her flickering ear. "One day, Sua-chan, I am going to make good on your advances." She blushed. "For now, I hope my overly affectionate feelings are enough?"

He sounded almost unsure.

Tatsua whimpered softly, her forehead closing the distance to rest on his shoulder as his out of control pheromones ravaged her senses, laid waste to her organs, and destroyed the last bits of her willpower.

~III~

Hinata knelt next to the bedroll Naruto used at night and ground her teeth in rage. He had tidied up his "sleeping arrangement" and left earlier on whatever mission Kurenai-sensei had given him. Perhaps this had to do with the conversation the Hokage needed before they departed?

"Hiiiii-naaaaaaaa-taaaaaaaaa!" She winced, her musing cut short by the whining voice of the pinkette banshee above. Those two were beginning to bring out her more murderous fantasies reserved for the elders of her clan.

With a heavy huff and a quick count backwards from ten, Hinata rose and trudged back up to the main floor of the house to tend to _Kakashi-sensei_. Since Sakura needed to take direct and exacting care of their "fearless leader," tending the not-as-exhausted-as-he-seemed cyclops fell to her now. She shivered as she remembered the leering gaze in his one eye as she moved about the house. She would never have known if she hadn't left her Byakugan active while going to and from the kitchen to get more tea for him after one of her routine checkups. The look on his face made her feel soiled and in need of Naruto's comforting arms. Only he was allowed to look at her that way even if he never did.

Naruto's ocean blue eyes were always filled with tenderness… and the occasional naughty wink. He was nothing like the silver-haired pervert.

She wanted to pummel his face into a bloody mush and close off all of his tenketsu. Permanently. Painfully. Instead, she made sure to keep her bulky jacket zipped up fully for the rest of their stay in the muggy island climate. She hated the feel of sweat down her back and between her breasts but she was becoming not a great fan of the famous former ANBU Commander either.

She pushed those thoughts away as they weren't going to do her any good. She'd have to bear up until Naruto returned. For now, she needed to help the one-eyed lecher get back on his feet. Gripping the front of her jacket protectively, she rounded the corner and brushed past the red-faced kunoichi without a word. Squashing the desire to smack her as well, she lifted a palm to halt her brewing rant and strode into the home, her patient already nose-deep in his disgusting orange book.

It was a good thing that no one knew she had a complete and autographed set back home that fueled her Naruto fantasies. That was completely beside the point.

She redirected her steps to the kitchen to make tea for the pig and Tsunami offered her a warm smile of sympathy and a fresh cup of the steaming green liquid. She thanked her, squared her shoulders before realizing he stared more when she did that, corrected her posture by slumping her shoulders a bit, then turned to deliver the cup. She thanked Tsunami for the extra cup she saw awaiting her return.

The two spent a lot of time lately talking about her blond teammate and that helped a little. The less time she spent near the lecher the better.

~III~

* * *

_In the Ruins of Uzushiogakure…_

In the morning, a very red-faced Tatsua had a hard time looking Naruto in the face. In silence, they rinsed off their bodies in the shallows and dressed before she unsealed food for their morning meal, Naruto trying very hard not to notice the way her very toned body glistened or the way her firm breasts jiggled and swayed as she rinsed the sweat from her skin.

She smiled up at him and it was at that moment that a powerful influx of memories knocked him to his knees. Tatsua whirled around and began checking him for injuries.

One memory stood out above the rest.

Gato had received visitors that morning, a minor noble from the Land of Grass arriving to accept Gato's invitation of hospitality in this quaint backwater village. Gato had taken great pleasure in showing off his "pet Daimyo," even backhanding the woman to show that he could do so with impunity and encouraging his guest, a long-time buyer and regular customer of Gato's black market enterprise, to do the same. The man was purchasing opium from the new crop of poppies being grown in the wonderfully-temperate climate and a new batch of slaves. Since the younger servants of the Daimyo's house were better mannered and… untainted, the disgusting man and his lecherous son had purchased four. They were all barely in their teens and clearly terrified.

With a snarl, Naruto released the chakra on his training weights, summoned five clones, and glanced up from his crouch hissing through his teeth, "You know what to do!" With five snarls in response, they vanished in a blur of fur and dark cloth.

Naruto's chakra had mostly recovered so he turned his attention to helping his clones restore the rest of his obliterated chakra control. They could afford no more delays since Gato was continuing his reign of debauchery. He plopped down into the lotus position with the intent of sending his chakra out into the land. He could use the earth and wind exercises while he waited but his plans were interrupted when he felt the familiar tug on the back of his mind and opened his eyes to the puzzled face of Kyūbi, apparently having tea with the cup mere centimeters from her lips, in a state of total surprise.

In the Mindscape

"She did not call to you, Naruto-sama. We did."

Naruto turned around to see the nine eager faces of his newest occupants. I realize that you are pressed for time and that our energy is limited though replenishing rapidly," he bowed at the waist, "…many thanks to you." Uzumaki Ienaga straightened with sparkling eyes to the last royal son of Uzushiogakure.

"Okay, I'll bite. How can I help you Ienaga-jiji?" The old man motioned for the younger one to move forward and stand in the middle of a small ring of stones near their statues that looked like a bullseye. In the center was a raised circle of stone that looked like the top half of a flattened sphere.

"We must evaluate you so that we may develop your training plan." Naruto tried very hard not to scowl. Now was a very poor choice of timing.

"Please, Naruto-sama. This should only take a moment. We can begin your training once we return to your village."

While excited at the prospect of becoming the baddest ninja Konoha had ever seen, the boy's mind was admittedly elsewhere. Sighing, and deciding that being in a positive relationship with his Uzumaki elders was better for his long-term goals, the young Uzumaki walked to the center of the circle and stood on the raised dome. Realizing that the stone was only big enough for one foot, he instinctively raised one leg and stood on the balls of his left foot, his body in perfect balance.

Ienaga smiled briefly, then started explaining his concept for Naruto's training regimen. Three of the other elders stepped forward to inspect the boy while he talked. Occasionally, one would lift and arm out to the side or ask him to turn one way or another.

"Naruto-dono, we plan to maximize use of this… mindspace… as it appears to be the perfect training medium for repetition and mental preparation." Ienaga moved to stand outside the last ring while the other three continuously poked, prodded, and manipulated the boy's limbs.

"While your body rests, we can prepare you through the educational portions of your training." Ienaga briefly met the eyes of one of the instructors.

"Your physical training cannot be accomplished here but I have alternative options to address that." The instructors stopped moving as one and moved to specific locations on the outer ring of stone. One actually turned away with a disgusted look on his face. Only then did Ienaga move to the center to be closer to Naruto.

~/-/-|||-\\-\~

Twenty minutes later in the equivalent of mindspace time, Naruto was terribly confused. He thought he was doing pretty well if you asked him especially when you took in the years wasted as the Konoha Academy sabotaged his growth.

At first blush, the Council of Elders was not impressed. Not impressed at all. Before them stood all five-foot-eight inches of one Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto and, while an impressive specimen for the average ne'er-do-well Genin, he simply did not represent what a proper Uzumaki in their eyes should be… even if he was only half Uzumaki. These grizzled veterans (now mental energy apparitions chained to the boy's chakra network) made that fact perfectly clear and aimed to correct that serious deficiency and they aimed to do so post-haste. However, while they could work his mind during his sleep periods while his body rested, they would have to revise his physical training program in the waking world. From the very disappointed sounds of it, it would have to all be redone from the ground up.

No, his current level of physical readiness simply would not do.

Naruto stood in his mindscape dressed in only his boxers - still wondering how that happened by the way - with a heated glare on his face. He was decidedly not a happy boy and growing less pleased by the minute.

And here they stood clucking angrily in a serious circle of robes and annoyed red hair, well, eight of them in various degrees of red, grey, and white anyway as Ienaga had gone full polar bear with his flowing locks and beard of snow. As they prowled around him in a never-ending circle of cloth, most of them growling with disdain pointing out glaring deficiencies and other points that would need priority focus, the young Uzumaki went through various shades of anger, annoyance, indignation, embarrassment, then outrage.

And this was only from three of the nine specters lurking in his head. Each of the three currently looking controlled a specific element or aspect of his Uzumaki education and these three had the most to deal with his physical conditioning.

Kyūbi merely shook her head in disbelief as she fully remembered listening in on their earlier roundtable discussion before certain rules had to be established – this was her home and they were uninvited squatters as far as she was concerned. Besides, their behavior certainly didn't match with people designated by their former ruler to help guide and mentor the current, and last, royal Uzumaki. She sorely hoped this didn't become another Hyuuga nightmare as that would go over very poorly.

She began to picture nine little cages with robe-wearing prisoners singing jailhouse melodies.

Uzumaki Doroana, the earth element chakra trainer, "tsked" multiple times as he lifted one arm then the other. Occasionally he would slap one of Naruto's rock-hard thighs with the back of his hand and mutter something that soundly oddly like "passable." Kyūbi noticed the muscles of Naruto's legs never shook when Doroana struck them.

No, Kitsune weren't the best suited to training a once-human-now-happa-Kitsune male in shinobi combat readiness or human chakra network development but her-_his_ handmaidens had done a wonderful job of cobbling something together to make him prepared for his life as a Konoha Genin. They'd done a sight better job than those horrible Konoha humans had and Kyūbi was annoyed on behalf of the Twins. How _dare_ these Johnny-come-lately's show up and tear down their work without so much as a "thanks for picking up our slack."

Her teeth were grinding together in a most unpleasant fashion.

Uzumaki Abareruken, the Uzumaki Taijutsu Grandmaster, eyed the boy's limbs and core development with a face that looked like it had been wrinkled through the repeated consumption of bitter fruit.

Uzumaki Senkai, the Uzumaki Kenjutsu Grandmaster, refused to even acknowledge the boy once he'd heard Naruto's training in kenjutsu hadn't even started until a few months ago. He simply found the boy inadequate to assess initially and stated so, remarking it was a miracle he even knew which end of a blade to properly apply to his enemy. Grousing about needing to start training with plastic cutlery so the boy wouldn't injure himself irreparably, he had simply turned his back and refused to look at Naruto for the rest of the evaluation, his work clearly done for the moment.

No, the Council of Elders, in the event they had not made themselves abundantly clear, were less than thrilled.

The three masters turned to look at each other once they had assumed their original positions before the inquisition started and, without a single spoken word of communication, turned to look at Ienaga while the Taijutsu mentor said in the flat voice of absolute certainty, "Two years."

Ienaga's face wrinkled up in displeasure. "While he could probably master the three core physical attributes, I am not sure we have two years to work with. He has already begun his shinobi career and the boy's patronage is sure to be released by careless tongues out for his blood."

Abareruken scoffed. "No, I meant 'two years until he is suitable for training' THEN we can begin the core buildup into a respectable Uzumaki." All three nodded as if it was law inviolate. Ienaga's response was deadpan.

"You have six months. Make it so."

They all sputtered and moved away to their respective statues, grousing and whining the whole while about doing the impossible. Naruto completely missed the smiles tickling the corner of their mouths as their spirits merged with the marble replicas of their avatar forms. Ienaga knew the game they were engaging in but chose to keep their intent to himself. No reason for Naruto-Ōji to see behind the rouse and thus cease to give less than his full and best effort.

"Do not fear, Naruto-Ōji. They are truly the best instructors you shall ever find. They only wish you to be the best you can achieve, and they will work hard to bring that out in you."

Naruto, now back in his normal attire in his mindscape, had never felt more demoralized and found it too difficult a concept to accept.

Was Ienaga not listening to their harsh criticisms? Did he not hear the disparaging remarks about all of the hard work Tatsua had put into his physical training? He thought she had done wonders for him but, listening to those three, he was barely better off than an angry toddler. One had specifically remarked, "I've seen more muscle definition on an Uzumaki primary schooler!"

For the first time, Naruto wondered if he had what it took to be an Uzumaki.

"Never fear, Naruto-sama. Things are often darkest before the new dawn." He patted the boy on his shoulder. "You will find that you are not as bad off as you think."

Naruto gave a quick bow of his head as the elder statesman took his place in the center of the line of nine statues along the western wall, also vanishing into nothingness. With one last parting glance, the boy turned to Kyūbi, who pulled his head down to her bosom while she cradled it.

**"I see how hard you've worked, Naruto-kun. You just be sure to show these old fossils the truth when you begin your training." **

He was too miserable to either blush or resist, but he enjoyed the fragrant smell and softness of her skin.

**"I hope they learn this the hard way with many bruises of their own."**

With a gentle push of chakra, she released him from the mindscape, the warm feel of her cleavage on his cheek the last sensation to travel with him.

Once Naruto had vanished from the mindscape, the Council of Elders reappeared, much to Kyuubi's surprise… and annoyance. They gathered around Ienaga who turned to face each in turn. "Well, your true thoughts then?" He started with the three that looked over Naruto first.

"Impressive. His _Doton_ harmonics are good, very good. I'd say he poses no difficulty in training and should pick up the core basics of our clan style in no more than a month."

Kyūbi's eyebrows rose incrementally.

Ienaga looked expectantly to Abareruken next.

"I am most impressed with his physical development." He was nodding approvingly, his face all smiles despite the horrid evaluation mere moments ago. "Despite not being exposed to Uzumaki training at the requisite age, his body is much farther along than one would expect of a novice. Two more months and I could perfect the conditioning his current instructor has already begun."

Kyūbi's jaw dropped open as her eyebrows reversed direction to meet at the bridge of her nose.

Ienaga turned last to Senkai, the kenjutsu expert.

The man shrugged. "The one lagging area is his familiarity with blades. While he has the proper conditioning to begin the skill, his lack of training is a bonus as this means that I have fewer bad habits to break." The slim man nodded once and only once. "I can work with this once Ken-san says he is up to par."

Ienaga clenched one fist in the air with a beaming smile.

Kyūbi, on the other hand, was livid.

**"What is THIS?!"** They all turned to face her as if they'd forgotten she was there. **"You just spent time tearing the poor boy down to his bones, yet you stand there engaged in this… mockery?!"**

Ienaga attempted to placate the bijuu.

"You misunderstand us, Kyūbi-sama. Our time to prepare the young master is pressed. Though he appears very powerful and with you on his side, he has many powerful enemies that are no doubt plotting his death. Once his heritage is known, and trust when I say it is only a matter of time, we cannot have the boy vastly underpowered when the Kage-level enemies of his ancestors come searching for him."

Kyūbi relented in her anger a bit as she considered his words. Seeing her hesitation, Ienaga continued.

"Furthermore, you yourself said that the boy excels when challenged, often doing his best when shown a disproving nature so that he may rise to a challenge and prove his naysayers wrong." Ienaga sighed heavily. "While we do not relish this form of coercion, we will nonetheless push him terribly and we need him to continue with what will become torturous training." They all appeared resolute. "Once he is past the critical threshold, we will ease our pressure on the boy and teach him in the proper manner befitting the royalty of Uzushiogakure no Sato."

"Understand when I say that an entire clan, no... an entire nation rests on his shoulders. We cannot afford to let him fail."

Kyūbi nodded. **"I am going to hold you to that, old man. That boy has suffered far too much already and I will be keeping you all on a _very_ short leash."**

Having come to an accord, Ienaga bowed low to the bijū and the Nine re-entered their stony facades to continue their recuperation, several chatting excitedly at their new training prospect.

~III~

* * *

_The Super Colossal Bridge in Wave…_

Like clockwork, the same two thugs came creeping around the baker's home the following day with four of their closest friends. Bruised, battered, and ragged after their beating the following day, they spared a hateful glance to the peacefully watching blond standing on the bridge with his shinobi friends. Feeling brave with their backup, the two sniffed dismissively right before kicking the door down to the baker's shop.

One of the extra thugs began cat-calling Kurenai-sensei while the rest started throwing vulgar insults to everyone else in sight.

Their moment of revelry abruptly ended when both enforcers came flying from the baker's house back-first, their unconscious forms thudding painfully to the dirt and stone street before rolling to a battered stop against the nearest house. All four had approximately fifteen seconds to stare blankly at their bleeding ringleaders before an entire squad of blond twins rushed from the baker's house armed with rolling pins and wooden bread paddles.

Cue painful and girlish screams from the suddenly less brave thugs being pummeled unconscious by a swarm of Naruto clones.

Naruto-clone smirked as he hefted his maul and turned around to resume his afternoon of work, pausing to receive a motherly pat to the cheek by Tsunami which, to her surprise, produced a remarkably embarrassing sound from the powerful Genin that made every woman within ten paces squeal in surprise.

Boss was not "cute." Boss most definitely does not "purr." Fighting down a raging clone blush, he stalked off to drive more rivets fighting to ignore the cooing and teasing from his fellow bridge workers.

~III~

* * *

_Back in the Ruins of Uzushiogakure…_

Naruto emerged from his mindscape less than happy with the experience. He waved off Tatsua's concern and asked her to sit with him, her back against his chest - which surprised her, while he waited for his clones to finish training. He didn't think he could focus after that impromptu meeting with the elders, so he casually hugged and stroked the soft curves and flat stomach of his guardian, much to her happy (muffled so as not to let him know that she approved) coos and moans. Tatsua wasn't sure what happened but she hoped it happened more often.

By the time nightfall came and most of the clones on the island had dispersed, Naruto had reclaimed a good portion, perhaps a third, of his lost control back. It wasn't quite good enough to turn off the limiters, but it was enough to restore the vast majority of his less control-intensive techniques and his anger at the elders had dissipated in the arms of a beautiful Kitsune woman as she held his arms locked around her waist and rocked side-to-side with him humming a soft tune.

She'd adamantly deny it later if anyone every brought this moment up but, for now, it was pleasingly comfortable.

He'd also learned a great deal about his island homeland through his clones who weren't so distracted or upset, useful information he would both catalog later and take full advantage of upon subsequent returns home.

Home. That word resonated with him. Sure, it wasn't much to look at now but that could change.

He still had a hard time connecting to the estate in Konoha. It was never his home but a place where strangers once lived and left to him in a will. It was convenient and afforded more protection and luxury that his old apartment did but there was no emotional bond, not even when he stumbled upon what was to be his room with the crib centrally located in a sea of pastel blues, yellows, and soft red swirls. It was a home meant for a happy family living a happy life and that was not Naruto's existence.

Or was it? He glanced down to the top of Tatsua's golden crown of silky hair and had to re-evaluate what he considered family. Sure his immediate family was very, very affectionate (once you got past the gruff outer exterior) but did that make them any less familial? Tearing his eyes away from the open cut of her neckline and the treasures he knew were strapped tightly within, he compared his early life of loneliness with the current one he was making in the home of his father and mother.

Deep down he wondered if the only reason Jiji gave him the deed was to try and repair his damaged loyalty to a town he once loved, as misguided as Naruto realized that affection was. Was it too late?

One side with a few notable exceptions, the human side, ignored and despised him his entire life only reaching out to him when they figured the emotional divide was growing beyond their abilities to contain it. The other side, the Kitsune one, willingly reached out before he even knew of their existence and embraced him wholeheartedly with their love and protection. It made him wonder if the headband he wore was worth the pain it caused.

Those were dark thoughts for another time. For now, he needed to repair his fractured control and get off this island and back to Tazuna's home. It was as the sun was setting that his first memories from the retrieval squad returned and they were not initially pleasant ones.

~III~

* * *

_Just Off the Coast of Hi no Kuni…_

They were numbered Three-Thousand One through Five, their ANBU masks dull streaks in the setting sun. Not traveling by slow-moving cart (Gato sold the Daimyo's official carriage along with the female attendants that traveled with it) or having to wait for water transport back to the shore, the clones were able to make up considerable ground. Without weight restrictions and their copied chakra limiters firing at full power, the clones streaked across the water to the Fire mainland and closed on their prey just as the cart had begun its western return homeward, the fishing village left behind in the setting sun.

It was fortunate that the snobbish noble found the inn unsuitable. Their unfortunate deaths would not disturb the villagers unnecessarily.

Two masked ninjas appeared in front of the lead carriage forcing the driver to stop. When the driver turned around to inform the carriage's riders of the interruption, he saw two more directly behind the trailing cage connected to the carriage's rear axle and one standing a few feet from the carriage door. Their painted masks made their faces frightening, the dark clothes they wore identified them as ninja, and the short blades at their backs implied nothing peaceful.

With the carriage halted, the terrified cries of women behind the heavily curtained doors could be clearly heard in the night. The single ninja, possibly the leader, turned his head to see two girls huddled and shivering in the cool night air, their arms chained together inside the bamboo cage. The driver thought he could hear the ninja growl when his head swiveled very slowly back to the carriage door.

Oblivious to the danger, the noble chose that moment to whip the curtain away, push his flushed face through the opening, and snidely demand to know why they'd stopped?

When the driver merely pointed a badly shaking hand to the ninja standing two meters from the door, the noble smirked as imperiously as he could and bellowed, "Daken! Deal with these curs! This is what I pay you for!"

With his decree delivered, the noble ducked back inside and whipped the curtain back into its former place, the inconveniences already forgotten and the pleas and cries of the women trapped inside the carriage resuming almost immediately.

The eyes of every clone narrowed dangerously beneath their masks right before the short samurai climbed leisurely from the seat adjacent to the driver and strolled around the carriage to stand two sword lengths away from the obvious leader of this pocket of ninja slime.

Inclining his head to the lower shoulder by the road, he moved a safe distance from the carriage and awaited the ninja's company. He was joined by three of the ninja dogs and chuckled, clearly unimpressed. This apparently irked number Three-Thousand and Three, who charged with tanto drawn.

The samurai expertly blocked the blade already dropping into a low stance to bring the sword across his body, a strike intended to disembowel his appointed foe, and froze mid-strike as the ninja's body elongated like a deflating balloon, his body drawn into his glowing blade until he vanished completely. Then it dawned on the samurai as if from a distant training lecture – most of these ninjas were clones, solid clones, but clones nonetheless. While this meant the original was powerful to be able to produce several physical copies, thus explaining their similarities in size, mass and movement, at least four of them were of absolutely no challenge and he grinned smugly to show his appreciable lack of concern.

The lead clone observed the whole interplay and nodded to his remaining teammate, signing for him to use ranged jutsu to attack. The first clone had shown what he expected to see when the replica's chakra matrix came into contact with the samurai's weapon.

To be honest, the same would have happened if he'd struck the samurai's unique armor as all of their data indicated its function was to drain chakra and use it to sustain a samurai's unique brand of reinforcement training; their weapons generated a modified chakra shield to protect their bodies and their swords used chakra to increase their cutting power. They could slice through most things not protected by chakra, which the weapon drained to sustain their own deadly advantages.

For this reason, samurai were the bane of the ninja world and one of the three martial powers used to keep a nation's military powers in check. They were the primary defense mechanism used to defend a Daimyo not involved in the daily life of his hidden village and it was the notable lack of any military power that made this tiny corner in the Land of Waves as vulnerable to Gato's invasion such as it was.

Naruto would need to correct that unless he wanted to repeatedly rescue this tiny, and non-aggressive nation, every four to five years.

Despite the Boss's rudimentary kenjutsu skills, this samurai was not particularly skilled at all. His young age indicated he hadn't trained for many years and his physical development was perhaps on par with the un-augmented clones. His second fear was realized when the now attacking clone's jutsu was sucked into the samurai's blade and, linked to the clone as it was, the clone followed shortly after. With a nod, he formalized his plan.

The short samurai grunted. "Surely you can be more of a challenge than this, baka. You insult me and waste my time. Perhaps you should kill yourself now and prevent me from sullying my blade further."

Hearing his adopted son's taunt, the noble paused his attempted violation of the young girl desperately clutching her torn rags and poked his head through the carriage curtains to watch the impudent ninja's final moments. His smile, and the smile of his samurai retainer, thinned once the lone ninja began to glow with a more condensed version of the samurai's chakra armor.

Daken's smile disappeared completely when the ninja disappeared from view altogether, right before the ground at his feet erupted forming a crater where he once stood.

Then the pain hit.

Just as his shattered legs registered in his brain and the wail of agony erupted from his mouth in a pained gargle, Daken landed on his back ten meters from where he was smugly insulting the fox-faced ninja, his concentration failing completely in the afterglow of his suffering. As an afterthought, he mused that insulting and taunting his unknown opponent might not have been the wisest thing to do.

His body landed hard, knocking the wind from his lungs and stunning him, then his midsection exploded in pain as a stalagmite of rock punched through his back, smashed his spine, and ruptured major organs before erupting from his stomach, effectively impaling the poorly-trained warrior where he lay. The clone was more than happy to let him bleed to death. Turning back to the roadside and his remaining clones, he made a quick series of hand signs.

The terrified driver was yanked from the bench and forced to kneel by the treeline. The clones on the road created a copy apiece to assist with the rest of what followed.

The nobles were exactly what they appeared to be, pampered wealthy people with overinflated senses of self-worth, probably relying on the armored bodyguard to keep them safe. One moderately-skilled samurai is enough to defend against an army of bandits as well as most Genin, Chunin, and the specialist Jounin or two. Daken, however, was not moderately skilled.

He wasn't even a real ronin; he'd failed out of the squire training period, the Dai Jinushi, and failed to get an apprenticeship of service in a regional lord's territory but his adoptive father considered his training enough for his purposes. Honestly, until his first real challenge (these cowardly ninja dogs) it had been more than enough to intimidate the average roadside brigand or bar thug but not today. His luck had run out.

The carriage's wealthy occupants were yanked from its functional but comfy confines and made to kneel next to the now openly sobbing driver, which they found highly insulting, until the clones backhanded them repeatedly into submission. At this point, the noble's bravado turned into whimpering and blubbering, the son (the other male passenger preparing to help rape the freshly-acquired slaves) breaking into fits of hysteria at the sight of the impaled and rapidly dying warrior not ten meters away.

The noble's son offered money (and his father's life) to be set free promising never to return. He was summarily backhanded and lost more teeth.

The noble offered to make introductions at court in the Land of Grass, never mind that he was only a minor noble and had no power nor the connections to do so. _'Once I am home I can replace my lost guard and buy a contract for revenge on this ninja urchin-.'_ His mental tirade was cut short by a blow to his side that fractured several ribs forcing him to cough up blood.

It was at that point that both of them realized there would be no negotiations. There would be no mercy. These ninja waifs, silent and hostile as they were, could not be bought or bartered away. Coming from a world where everything had its price, the spoiled examples of a bourgeoisie society were woefully lacking in the more subtle personality skills needed to secure their lives and lacked the moral compass needed to comprehend their actions leading up to this situation as reprehensible.

They began to openly weep instead.

The weeping continued as rough hands unused to their silk finery dragged them to the tree line. The pair sobbed as those same hands lifted them from the ground and drove wooden spikes through their palms and into trees then released their hold, those stakes becoming the sole implements helping them to defy gravity. This clearly tore at the soft, fleshy hands of overweight nobles as their bowels released. The sobs abated as shock set in, the new victims not even noticing the sharp blades carving words into their chest and stomachs while other pairs of hands tore up their newest robes to form gags for their mouths and ties for their ankles.

Their gags were necessary when the kunai were turned to their genitalia leaving non-cauterized wounds between their legs so soft bodies used to a life of pampering and privilege could bleed out quietly overnight.

Deep inside her cage and connected by the chakra of her host, the Kyūbi no Youko smiled.

When villagers followed the smell of rotting flesh and excrement the next day to this gory scene, they would read the warning, "Rapists and Slavers Not Welcome." They would decide to leave the bodies in place for the rest of the day not wanting to anger the people capable of such a violent act, an action that would turn away several palanquins of potential buyers also responding to Gato's invitation of a private auction. The headless samurai strung up with ninja wire in a kneeling position, head nestled between his legs, next to the crucified nobles with his entire midsection blown out was seen as good incentive to expedite their respective return trips.

The clones would purchase a return trip with a fisherman early the next morning using some of the merchant's "appropriated" wealth. Normally they would have refused but five dangerous-looking shinobi from the land of fire had rescued those poor women and they didn't appear to be in the mood to respond well to a refusal to help. The fact that they'd brought the carriage back without the rich owners, and the silent ninja reeking of blood, may have helped to resolve any potential standoff.

That following night, the two extra copies dispersed themselves sending the entire series of events to the original along with their plans to return to Wave in the morning. The remaining three clones were low on chakra but would use what they had left to heal the minor bruises on the four rescued women, asking for reinforcements to complete the retrieval.

~III~

* * *

_On the Shores of Uzushiogakure…_

With a happy sigh, Naruto released five more lesser clones to take over that mission then turned his attention back to his current predicament. He needed to get back for several reasons.

His team was being used for manual labor to help rebuild the bridge while Sasuke sat around being fed by Sakura. His clone was burning through chakra to create a squad of clones to help build the bridge (and defend the baker's family) so that Shino could stand proper sentry duty with Kurenai-sensei. The Naruto-copy was just under half his full capacity and would not survive another day and a half at this rate.

Hinata was being forced to tend to Kakashi who, from the looks of it, was well enough after two days to be able to hobble about on his own. If he was well enough to read that pornographic novel, then he was well enough to take care of himself as far as Naruto was concerned.

His clones had wrapped up their planning and were waiting for his return. It was time to strike as Gato was growing frustrated with the Wave Daimyo. A frustrated Gato usually meant people suffered or died or both.

He was running out of time.

His clones finished dispersing in groups of five to ten, their training experiences through the day becoming a constant stream of knowledge that ended with him gasping on hands and knees in the warm layer of the sandy shore. His chakra reserves had refilled even with his steady usages back in the ruins and he felt calmer, more like himself.

He'd have to work on balancing with the new tail as he ran back to Tazuna's house.

He ran through the full range of seals for his lesser shadow clones being careful to use the same amount of chakra he'd applied earlier the day before. The result was closer to four-thousand clones. This provided all of the clarification he needed. His chakra control was in fact improving and his effective stores had dramatically increased, his light panting ending mere moments after releasing the jutsu.

He swiped one arm back to the island behind him, the clones responding in unison with, "Ossu!" before sprinting off into the night. Tatsua was confused and it showed on her face.

"I want them to keep working on chakra control while we travel," he quipped answering her unasked question. "I need all of the training I can get between now and execution." He snapped on his mask, the clear crystals in the eye sockets glowing with an eerie red light.

He walked over to Tatsua and wrapped his hands around her waist, one hand dipping low to firmly squeeze a cheek. Her eyes went wide but the corners of her mouth perked upwards in a naughty smile.

"I thought we needed to urgently depart, Taichou." He nodded.

"We do but I wanted a nice hug while waiting for you to climb on to your usual perch." She placed a chaste kiss on the thin line that made the lips of his mask.

"If you want me to change, you'll have to let me go. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy seeing where this engagement takes us." Seeing as she was in no hurry to break his embrace nor willing to dislodge his hand (her muscles were wonderfully firm under a thin layer of softness), he dropped his hands to his sides and waited patiently for her to clamber up to his neck. She was purring softly, something he didn't think foxes were capable of, and he imagined his forwardness would cost him later.

It was a price he would be willing to pay. He hoped Hinata would not hold this against him.

The sandy ground cratered as he dashed out into the water, his feet barely leaving ripples as his _Ghost Step_ flickered and sputtered. Once he catapulted off the whirlpools and past the shoals, the re-energized shinobi vectored towards Tazuna's home, his tails trailing behind him like four golden banners just ahead of the rooster tail of his wake.

Those tails were wonderful. Their chakra networks were as equally complex as the network in his body, some would say more so - he still needed to convert conventional techniques, like the one he was using to run on water, into ones he could use with his Kitsune _Reiatsu_ network but that would come in time.

For now, he could channel chakra wordlessly using Kitsune elemental control and could use extension and reinforcement chakra manipulation without words or seals, its use of chakra much finer than traditional molding practices. Better yet, when not using the scent glands in the tips, they worked exactly like sails and stabilizers, helping to maintain his balance and redirect his motion more efficiently. He'd even used them to slow his fall once when he'd overshot a branch, the fluffy tails serving as a makeshift parachute. They wouldn't be enough to prevent damage if he fell from great enough heights, but it would slow his momentum enough that he could prevent critical injury or death.

Kitsune tails were the greatest things.

That reminded him of something and he energized the seal at the base of his neck. _'I have not marked you with my scent gland in a while, Tatsua-chan.'_

_'I had not taken that liberty given my…, but you are welcome to do so at your leisure, Taichou.'_ Naruto grunted.

_'It seems counterproductive, Tatsua-chan. Any time you bathe, you wash away the scent.'_

Tatsua trilled. _'Perhaps you should permanently mark us, Tamami and me… I mean.'_ Naruto looked shocked.

_'That can be done?'_

Tatsua just giggled realizing how little he knew about Kitsune physiology.

_'I will teach you later, Taichou.'_

Naruto nodded and simply ran on, his mind wandering back to the rest of his changes.

Naruto also noted that he was faster and stronger. Whatever modifications were added by his extra tail also reinforced his body. No wonder he was clumsier. He would need to take up his morning conditioning again and go through his forms. He'd have to retrain everything.

He had a little time at the moment, but the rest would have to happen back in Konoha. His scouts indicated that Momochi Zabuza and his hunter nin were his only significant threats so that meant he was strong enough to deal with the normal thugs and bandits working for that assclown Gato. Provided the nukenin duo were still in hiding recuperating from their wounds as Kakashi had muttered out in his half-dead state, then his clones would be enough to deal with the henchmen supporting Gato. He had a plan to deal with Zabuza if the nin made an appearance, but it meant that Gato had to be dealt with first.

Timing was everything.

~III~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes: The Council of Nine**

* * *

A lot of fanfics have plowed through creative - and not-so-creative - methods for Naruto to go from failed Genin to Uberkage. A great many of those don't even bother with mechanics and just have him disappear only to return near-God-like and never delve into the "how and why" behind the change. When I came up with the Uzumaki Council concept, I wanted to tie into a couple of the threads behind the story itself and the fact that the Uzumaki, as a clan, was both more powerful and smarter than they were given credit for in canon.

How can you have this powerful clan of people strong enough to help shape the shinobi world, help found Konoha (arguably the greatest hidden village of all time), teach some of the greatest shinobi enough of the mystical sealing arts enabling them to harness raw chakra monoliths like the bijū, yet not be smart enough to figure out what was going on during the Second Shinobi World War or have contingency plans available to save at least some of their culture and people? I never understood that.

At the same time, I didn't want an overnight powerup (without consequences) for my protagonist so I came up with a method within the very fuzzy and nebulous boundaries of space-time _Fūinjutsu_ to preserve something of the Uzumaki legacy for the last surviving royal. It needed to be finite, it needed to be limited-access, and - most importantly for me - needed him to work his ass off to earn it and the benefits provided by it. No instant-power ups for the Super Uzu Genin on my watch.

The Council, as chakra constructs go, are an admittedly powerful aid (they cover every facet of Uzumaki culture and training) but they're also incredibly dangerous to maintain. The entire process needed to be chakra intensive and risky for any would-be usurper, the Council banking on the next vessel (as the first two had both been royals) to be the one to eventually make it home to retrieve them.

If either Kushina or Naruto hadn't been able to return, then the Uzumaki Clan and its legacy would have been completely lost to the ravages of time. Nothing man-made lasts forever.

Until next time, _Ja Ne!_

-Siva'a


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **It's been a while since my last update. Sorry for the delay but life has been busy lately.

Remember when I said that this story would delve into uncomfortable territory? Well, it's time. As a warning for those of you that may be underage or tender of heart, I caution about reading this chapter as it is this chapter, mostly for the violence in it, that earns this story the "M" rating.

There is a big **"Behind the Scenes"** explanation at the end of the chapter given the churn Naruto's mission generated (**#Shadistro** and folks with similar thoughts: This **BTS** is for you). This is the only time I intend to explain why this Arc is structured the way it is and I hope it answers the "why" questions that come with it.

Let's get back to it, shall we?

_~Siva'a-tasi~_

~I I I~

* * *

**Chapter 20: Good Guys Wear Masks - The Hero of Wave**

~I I I~

* * *

It was late evening on the second day and the original Naruto was back under Tazuna's house speaking with his doppelganger. He was a day ahead of schedule and that reminded him he'd need to thank Kyuubi for her hard work in keeping him functional. He had a greater appreciation, with his rudimentary medical training, of just what she was accomplishing with his biology. Her efforts deserved a proper reward.

"_**I expect you to honor that promise, kit."**_ Naruto grinned beneath his mask and his hand closed reflexively.

He summoned a lesser clone and turned towards it. "All squad leaders return for final mission pre-brief." The clone bowed, withdrew a kunai, and pierced its chest expiring in a puff of smoke.

Naruto sat and awaited his soldiers' arrival. He sat lotus with his minor clone immediately to his left and one pace behind, the position of a close advisor. Tatsua sat curled up in his lap. The only signs that Naruto was attentive during their briefs were the subtle movements of his mask's ears and the swaying of its tassels, a nod here as he concurred, a shake there before he altered a plan slightly or asked for clarification, the lilt as his head leaned to his left indicating he was listening to his advisor's thoughts.

Tatsua, worn out from watching over him the entire night, began snoring softly as one by one his lieutenants arrived to provide their debriefs.

Each individual plan was well thought out and their owners anxious to execute them. Being part of the same chakra network, each was well-apprised of the rescue mission just off the southern shore of Hi no Kuni and every clone wanted to repeat that success with the entire nation of Wave.

Each wrapped up succinctly by one in the morning, numbers adjusted and, more often than not, boosted by Naruto's feelings on whether risks to prisoner safety were acceptable. Naruto declared that the assault would take place an hour before sunrise. They would give Gato no more opportunity to inflict pain on this country's people.

All five squad leaders bowed, their masks touching the earth, then leaped to their feet. As they rose, fifteen hundred copies rose with them stretching out from under the house stilts and into the still evening water along the coast, their black uniforms cloaking their bodies so that an army of bodiless masks looked on from the sea.

One hundred paired off with the clone going to the village, their mission to clear out the town and wreak havoc on the thugs causing trouble there. They were to pay special attention to the brothel and its customers.

Five hundred paired off with the clone headed to the bandit camp where the majority of prisoners were being held, their mission total annihilation and hostage recovery.

Another three hundred paired off for the encampment along the shore while two hundred were to clear out the Daimyo's residence.

That left four hundred to clear out Gato's headquarters where the bulk of his forces lay.

Naruto would personally join the rescue at the Daimyo's residence. While the mission remained under the clone's prerogative, he would observe from the Daimyo's side and personally keep her safe. He pointedly looked to the clone leading the compound assault saying, "Remember, he lives until I arrive to question him. The rest are yours to make suffer as you see fit."

All of the clones bowed before streaking off into the night, a silent wave of impending death.

Deep inside her gilded cage, the Kyūbi no Youko smiled.

Naruto turned to his hermit clone and nodded once. The clone bowed deeply before sharing a few thoughts and observations. With another nod, Naruto _Henged_ into a copy of his replica as the clone vanished, his observations over the past few days filtering into the original's mind. The original then hopped up to the living room of the house and entered looking for his sensei.

One look into his serious face and she knew something big was coming. Without a word, he exited the doorway and waited for her in the front yard. Kakashi's one eye narrowed as Kurenai exited a moment later without a word in his direction.

"Welcome back, Naruto."

The boy nodded in return. He figured if anyone could tell who the original was, she could. He didn't know that she couldn't tell the difference between the original and a clone unless she had a Byakugan. It was his behavior that gave it away – he was still in his "Taichou Mode" of command, presence flowing from his body in waves.

"It will happen tonight." He heard her slight exhale. Her body control was as impressive as her figure. He was infinitely pleased that she could not see him blush right then.

"Any concerns?"

He realized then that she accepted his plans without knowing their contents. She had faith in him and it was a pleasant realization. As he turned fully to look her in the eye and it hit him, his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Even in her serious sensei mode, he failed to understand just how beautiful Yuhi Kurenai was, how tall and athletic was her figure. It was an asset that caused many enemies to underestimate her unto their untimely deaths as she was an equally capable kunoichi. He silently cursed his clone for pointing out a few things about his sensei as it dispersed.

"My remaining concerns center around hostage protection but we've planned and compensated with stealth and distraction to create openings and confusion." She nodded noting his use of the plural language form. She wished, not for the first time, that she shared his enormous capacity to make shadow clones. They were incredibly useful.

Remembering what the clone said to her that first night, she took a deeper breath than needed before speaking.

"Strike fast, return safely."

Naruto bowed deeply from the waste and, when he stood again, the Kitsune shinobi glanced back from his emotionless mask, the henge dropping silently. Kurenai's breath caught in her throat as he slowly vanished from sight, like a phantom, without seals, signs, or verbal commands.

Shaking out the chill that ravaged her spine, she spun on her heel suddenly very wary of the dark and re-entered the warmth and light of Tazuna's home.

"What are you not telling us, Kurenai?" She paused long enough to send a disproving look at the cyclops before moving to the kitchen table to share tea with Hinata and Tsunami, her answer to his question kept to herself.

Sasuke switched to full-blown pout mode. Clearly, no one understood the rigors of command that burdened him.

~III~

* * *

_In Various Locations About the Small Island in Wave Country…_

The rest of the island slept peacefully. Even brigands not on watch needed respite from a hard day's villainy and debauchery, so they slept in what they believed to be absolute safety in a land they felt completely secure in.

In a word, it was hubris.

The sentries discovered that lie as they lazily patrolled their entrenchments, their attention lax at best or comatose in a drunken slumber at worst. They died quietly and simultaneously, throats slit to prevent raising an alarm.

Those sleeping in open encampments died next, a kunai rammed forcefully into the base of their skulls mangling the brain stems, another hand covering their mouths as their basic motor functions ceased immediately and the spark of life faded from their eyes.

Next came the bunkered guards, those in-place behind fortifications like the Daimyo's home and the makeshift headquarters, fifteen minutes after the camps had been cleared out. Naruto and his clones had sequenced their mission objectives with silent reports sent through expired clones, five for each phase. With the camps cleared and the hostages on the beach, in the bandit camp, and in the village rescued, they moved on to clearing out the fortifications. Excess clones from secured areas body flickered to join the last two fronts, trebling their numbers to over twelve hundred, the remaining staying behind to tend wounded prisoners using medical skills and jutsus.

A good number stayed to pile up the dead and burn them with Katon jutsu. The ash and stench would mark those areas undesirable for years before the earth returned to a semblance of cleanliness.

It was an hour after the initial assault that the final push would start, ninja using headhunter jutsus to bury internal patrols up to their necks in stone just before another clone operating in tandem rose from the same floor to slice their throats. The Daimyo's home was cleared in under thirty minutes. Alert bandits, no matter how alert, were still untrained thugs and they posed little threat to well-trained ninja that could walk silently through the earth.

They died by the score, their superior numbers no longer a factor. The Daimyo of Wave Country rose shakily to her feet, her retainer also being hefted from the hard earth by another ninja almost identical to the one removing the chains from her chafed wrists. Once freed, his hands began to glow a beautiful shade of green and relief flooded into her body soothing away her aches and pains. She could feel the swelling on her face fading as the warmth of his touch washed over her entire body.

Another ninja had entered bringing blankets to cover their bodies, the Daimyo fully aware that her tattered garments had been torn by Gato in such a way as to expose the most sensitive parts of her body, all of it intended to show domination over a world leader and to stroke his perverted ego. She did not care. This ninja, young though he appeared, had saved her life and, though Gato had robbed her country blind (and gloated over it), the only way she could show immediate gratitude was to proudly stand before her rescuer, the strong leader she had always been. She almost resisted the urge to hug him once her hands were free… almost.

Wave would make good on its debt someday. She would see to it.

When he finished, she felt a hundred times better. He gently closed the blankets across her front closing her partial nakedness from searching eyes before doing something that shocked the newly rescued leader. He stepped back three paces then knelt before her. The sound, being repeated by hundreds of nearly identical ninjas in her audience chamber with a hearty, "_Ossu_!", made her realize just how thorough her rescue had been. Glancing over the many masked figures, all wearing the sigil of the Will of Fire, Hoshiyui Akimi, First Daimyo of the Land of Waves, shed her first tear and smiled, slowly falling onto her throne's cushion for the first time in weeks.

With a grimace, she snatched the cushion and hurled it to the floor.

"Saia-chan, please remind me to replace that despicable reminder of that rat's time here once our people are safe and fed."

Her handmaiden chuckled and bowed to her mistress. The Daimyo looked down upon the kneeling shinobis and warmth engulfed her face in a most undignified release of emotion.

"My savior need never bow before me, shinobi-san, but I would ask for his name and, with all humility, ask to be permitted to see the face of my shining light in the darkest times of my small corner of the nation."

The ninja stiffened, and she could see his reluctance. Secrecy was paramount to his world but she and her entire country owed the man a huge debt. If he vanished, as they were known to do cloaked in his mask and his shadows, she would be saddled with an enormous debt she could never repay. She would never be able to erase that stain upon her honor. He did not rise but instead reached up slowly to remove his mask and her lips parted at the sight.

Here before her knelt a child barely in his teen years, his gorgeous eyes the color of the deep sea before a storm, his hair like spun gold from the sun's rays. His entire body was tense, but his face never rose, his eyes never leaving her feet. The hard look in his eyes told her of innocence lost long ago and her heart wept for him.

If asked years later, she would not be able to recall leaving her seat and crossing the floor to kneel in front of the warrior that had saved them all. She would not remember taking his face in her hands and lifting his head, despite the unobstructed view it gave him of her exposed chest through tattered garments, and kissing his forehead forever placing upon it the mark of the Daimyo's beloved, her most trusted servants.

It was to this image that the returning women of her court were brought in by more ninja, each one wearing his unique mask and uniform, to see. They would see this rare gift and hear in complete silence the following exchange.

"Your name, brave shinobi-kun," she whispered. He blinked once before responding, his face burning with his blush as she pressed his face to her bosom.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Daimyo-dono." Her eyes shot open as her grip on his head tightened. At first, she giggled, an ecstatic sound like tinkling bells that grew to throaty laughter, her bosom heaving and rubbing against his face much to his embarrassment. Slowly the laughter shifted to hysterical relief, as the weight of that name crashed down upon her thin shoulders – the heir of Uzushiogakure himself had come to rescue her. It was fate.

Upon hearing the name, the twenty or so females rescued from Gato's conscripted dungeon and the lecherous nobles of Grass Country, all fell to their knees, heads bowed to the blonde shinobi. Naruto was gobsmacked and did the only thing he could… he returned her embrace albeit cautiously.

He was almost thankful when the notification arrived that the remaining force of clones had captured Gato and freed the remaining slaves. They'd also found the Cloud kunoichi but not before Gato had violated her. She was distraught and threatening to take her own life.

He needed to join them immediately.

Naruto begged to be excused stating that his troops had captured Gato and he needed to wrap up his mission. She released him only upon his promise to return to her before he departed Wave, to which he readily agreed.

Standing to face his clone army, Naruto sent one hundred of them off to deal with the poppy crops in the Daimyo's garden. They were to gather the crops and burn them at the southernmost shore. Another three-hundred were to stay and provide security for the Daimyo and her court. He sent another fifty to raid the warehouse and begin distributing the country's belongings back to the people. Once he was masked again and outside with his remaining clones, Naruto sent another two hundred to the bridge with instructions to henge into his normal gear. One was to find Kurenai and let her know that his mission was in its final stages and that they would need to meet with the Daimyo in her court before heading back to Konoha.

That done, he made a beeline for Gato's keep. Time to wrap up his affairs.

The "keep" turned out to be the nation's small business district. The village elder lived in the central unit and the other buildings included the bank, the tiny hospital, and an administrative building for records. They were built of stone and proved to be the most fortified so Gato kicked everyone out and claimed them as his new headquarters. Why not?

Once inside, Naruto saw that the worthless human hadn't even been roused from his slumber when his clones tied the fat slob to his own office chair. Naruto glared down at the snoring bastard wearing only a loincloth, his sex slaves now freed and huddled in a corner of the room under silken bedsheets.

They could not have been older than ten or so.

Naruto nodded to the prisoners, young girls kept from the slave market most likely until he grew bored with them, and the squad leader had them removed. With a snarl, he backhanded the snoring crime boss, knocking him and the chair to the floor, and sneered as the fat man snorted himself into painful consciousness.

"With us, are we? Gooooood!" Naruto sneered as two clones set the man upright again.

Gato immediately bellowed his rage and yelled for his guards. He was answered by the headless bodies of two swordsmen being wrapped in more of Gato's prized bedsheets and being carried out of the room. The mogul's face paled and his bellowing turned into sputtering. His predicament was slowly starting to sink in.

"I'll give you w-whatever you want! I'm powerful!"

Naruto snorted.

"I-I have money! Women! Most still fresh and untouched! You can take your pick!" Gato assumed most men were like him and given to perversions of the flesh through abuse of power. Gato completely misunderstood the snarl from what was obviously the leader of this band of shinobi. What he mistook for a feral snarl of lust and greed thinking it implied this guy must surely understand that need to satisfy one's primal urges, was in fact one of pure hatred. Gato was thinking perhaps he could replace Zabuza with this guy's army to back him.

The second backhand wiped those thoughts from his mind and knocked a few teeth out onto the floor to boot. This time the chair did not fall over but instead spun in place; Naruto was getting better and this corporeal punishment schtick.

The chair stopped spinning when a clone grabbed the arm.

"Get us what we need to know and show me our other guest," the latter being directed by turned his head to a nearby clone that rapidly vanished back into the building proper.

The next nod was directed to Naruto's patiently waiting Lieutenant, who signaled to his nearest enforcer.

The squad leader's grin beneath his mask promised lots of pain, which he gleefully leaped to deliver heedless of Gato's grunts, whines, and whimpers begging for the pain to stop. It was to the sound of the fat bastard being pummeled to death that a beautiful woman was brought gently into the room, her footsteps hesitant and her face contorted in discomfort, as her eyes settled on Gato's suffering. She paused and the smile that blossomed on her face held no warmth.

Naruto briefly wondered why Inari kept sending beautiful blonde women into his life.

After a moment of savoring the meaty thuds into Gato's overly-expanded midsection that were also accompanied by the sound of bones snapping, she diverted her eyes to the shinobi dispassionately watching the…interrogation? _Is it really an interrogation if they aren't asking questions? _She tried to bow, winced, and righted herself with a groan.

"Easy Kunoichi-san." His masked face turned to one of the identical figures holding her up, but her eyes stayed riveted to his mask. She noted the similar marks on the masks and zeroed in on the infinity sign above his brow. This one held power, he was… her eyes flared for a second in recognition and Naruto saw her nostrils flare again ever so slightly.

_'Interesting.'_

"We did what we could to ease her suffering, Taichou, but she remains sore due to our lack of skill in internal medical ninjutsu." He bowed in regret, but the woman waved it away.

"I am good, Taichou." She adopted the moniker effortlessly. "It's cool. Don't worry about what you can't return to me, what this bastard," she indicated the nearly insensate Gato, "…took from me."

Naruto motioned for the squad leader to stop his assault. He did so very reluctantly.

The kunoichi noted that the soldier hit like a bull. Gato was indeed a nearly-unrecognizable mess of blood and fused skin.

"When we are done, you may strike the killing blow, but I need his head."

She bowed her own head in gratitude. Looking once more at the bloodied fat man, she licked her lips in anticipation. The questioning had begun, and the pile of filth was given all that he could in the hopes of sparing his pathetic life.

In the end, it would not be enough. His body would be buried without a trace using _Doton_ jutsu. He would be forgotten but, for now, they needed more information.

In the meantime, clones were alternating between copying down account numbers and passwords to bank accounts in Grass, Fire, and Hot Water. It would take some time to clean up the mess properly but now they had time to do so.

They discovered, using his uncovered ledgers, account lines for his shinobi underlings as well as incoming lines of deposit from recent sales, the fleecing of Wave's banks, and estimates of merchandise confiscated from its citizens. Naruto sent revised estimates to the clones running the warehouse operation with orders to relocate the bank's fund back to the vault. They also found the three chests that Gato had brought with him into the country. He'd hidden them in his bed-chamber assuming his thugs would be enough security.

Normally they would have been.

In short order, the three chests were brought into the office and opened proving that Gato's arrogance didn't believe in traps. It was horrifically easy.

He opened the first chest, counted off two-hundred thousand Ryu, and sealed all three into the unused series of seals on his upper right forearm guard. Wrapping up the money in stacks, Naruto tossed the payment to another clone with orders to find the hidden nuke-nin. Apparently, Gato had provided their location during his pain-addled ramblings.

"Avoid hostilities at all costs. Just cancel their obligation and ensure they depart… quietly."

The clone "Oss'd" and body flickered away.

Only when they were absolutely certain they had everything, including the pilfered land titles and other state documents (Naruto noted the documents pertaining to Whirlpool were not there), did Naruto release Gato to the vengeful kunoichi. The loaned kunai she'd asked for sawed its way painfully through his throat only after she'd just as painfully sawed through his crotch a minute before. She watched impassively as the light left his eyes and all the stress in her shoulders fell away. The bloody blade clanged loudly on the tiled floor.

Naruto had two clones, henged as women, lead the bloody kunoichi away to get cleaned up. She paused for a long moment, staring intently into his crystalized eye sockets, before laboriously lowering her body to the floor and prostrating herself before him, her forehead pressed to the tiles, her arms outstretched to either side of his feet, her palms flat along the floor.

It was the position of complete submission, of complete surrender before an enemy. Naruto was stunned.

As the female clones tried to lift her from the cold stone, she whispered a plea.

"Please!"

They all paused.

"Please take me with you!"

He could hear her sobs. In confusion, he turned his head to the squad leader.

"Taichou, when she was taken by Zabuza, her village wrote her off. The moment her Raikage refused to ransom her, Gato took her maidenhead and threw her into a cramped cell."

Naruto was appalled.

With extreme tenderness, he knelt and touched his hands to her shoulders, placing his face by her head.

"Can you learn to live again? Can you learn to live by my side? Or are you too broken?"

She tensed at the intimate closeness, her shock released in a shuddering sigh. "H-H-Haaaaii, Taichou!"

He thought he could see her eyes cloud over, her face turned a little towards his own as she panted.

"If you are to come with me, you are not allowed to take your own life without my permission. Do not make me regret this decision, kunoichi-san."

Her tears fell, tears from the stress of her captivity, betrayal, and abuse, now that she was finally free from her insecurity. For now, she had a reason to live and the abyss of darkness seemed less bottomless. He had given her closure, revenge on the man that violated her. She would serve him until she could find better to take her place or find a way to gain his leave to take her own life.

His hands, rough and calloused as they were, were firm and gentle as he lifted her from the floor. She rose shakily, more dependent on his strength as her hands grabbed his vest to steady her unsure legs. Her fingers traced the edges of his mask and a shuddering smile broke out on her normally stoic face. He was Kitsune and he was in prime form.

"Samui, Taichou." It was almost a whisper.

Naruto nodded and motioned for her to go with the "female" shinobi, which she did willingly, her eyes staying on his mask until the last possible moment.

Naruto turned to his now blood-covered and visibly contented squad leader. "Clean up the office and wrap up in town. I want all of the clones except for the warehouse and Daimyo contingents gone by the end of the day. Make sure we hold a feast for the villagers using some of the stuff liberated from the warehouse."

The clone saluted, and the mob of replicas set about removing all signs of struggle using jutsus to remove the blood.

Naruto entered the room the clones had taken Samui in to get her cleaned up and, hopefully, clothed. She stood naked having just stepped into a tub of warm water, one clone holding fresh robes while the other had just finished scrubbing her back. Samui made no effort to cover her nakedness, her head bowed to her new Lord. He tried to not growl at the large number of bruises and bite marks on her shapely body wishing he could kill the fat bastard all over again.

Naruto approached her and removed his mask, his ocean-blue eyes seeking her ice blue ones. He also noticed how they immediately glazed over and internally grimaced knowing full well why it was happening.

He noticed her blonde hair cut short and framing her pale face. He intentionally ran his eyes over her body, his glowing green hands hovering over each bruise and deftly sliding past her more sensitive areas. On impulse, she grabbed his hands and pressed them to her overly large breasts, which broke his stoic façade, as they were clearly bigger than Tamami's.

"Taichou, do not fear to touch your servant."

For long moments, his eyes held hers unflinchingly. She had completely surrendered herself to her new lifeline and was desperately trying to maintain her sanity in a life that had been turned completely upside down. He would not take advantage of her in this way. He gently squeezed causing her cheeks to pink before leaning in and whispering in her ear, her body stiffening as she waited for him to act.

"I appreciate your surrender and accept your sacrifice in the manner with which it is given." He leaned back so that his nose was centimeters from her own.

"I will not touch you again until you can make the same offer free of your pain and whatever debt burden you believe you owe me. When your heart truly belongs to me, Samui-chan, I will take you into my arms," he gently kissed her lips, "…and not before."

* * *

Kyuubi _tsked_ in disappointment from within the seal. It was clear that his education on Kitsune culture was still lacking in a few areas and would need to be corrected concerning captured vixens.

* * *

He released her fleshy globes and backed away with a final squeeze. "I show you my face now so that you can recognize it around my teammates without giving away my secret. They do not know about," his hand waved arbitrarily to indicate the whole operation, "this, about my life as a specialist. As an assassin."

Samui nodded in understanding. Her nod did wonderful things to her chest.

"You will call me Naruto around my teammates, not Taichou, sama, or anything else. If anyone asks, you are my most personal guard. That will explain your constant presence around me."

She nodded, her breasts responding and catching his eye making her blush again.

"I will need to be comfortable around you," he tore his eyes back up to her face with a heavy sigh, "…and you will need to be comfortable around me."

She lifted her eyes from his muscled torso and saw something there she didn't remember seeing from her own Raikage - concern. He worried _for_ her.

"Are you okay with becoming a Leaf nin?"

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and he struggled, _VERY HARD,_ to keep his eyes even with hers.

"I will go where you go and serve you. If I must become a Leaf nin to do so, then I shall. Remember that my loyalty, from this day forward, belongs to you Taichou. Not Kumo. Not Konoha."

Her resolve firmed even as the water began to cool, the chill causing her skin to break out into small bumps, other more noticeable protrusions growing as well.

"You returned my honor and saved me from a kunoichi's worse fate. My life, my all, is yours until you no longer have use for me." Her face grew grim. She knew all too well how fickle men could be with the fading flower of beauty. Her eyes showed that she fully expected him to tire of her charms and cast her aside, just as her Raikage did once she was taken by that pig of gangster.

Naruto stepped forward and embraced her, her cold skin smashed against his body armor, but she could feel the heat from his core. He radiated warmth like a small furnace and her arms slowly drew themselves around his waist.

"I NEVER abandon my friends." He abruptly released her to bathe and dress in peace, calling back over his shoulder as he left and closed the door, "Someday you will come to learn that about me."

Samui stared for many minutes at the fading back of the strange shinobi her life had become inexplicably connected with and she resolved to serve him to the best of her ability from that day forward. This time her blush had nothing to do with the fading sensation of his warm skin.

One of the clones leaned forward to place her hand into the water and warmed it with a small Katon jutsu. Sinking into the now reheated bath with a heavenly sigh, Samui smiled for the first time in weeks.

~I I I~

The third day also found the newly-replaced Naruto clone standing before the baker's home, his maul clutched in both hands as he stood facing away from the bridge, and in the direction that the thugs came from. He was pointedly ignoring the angry calls behind him from one Uchiha Sasuke who was trying to order him back to the bridge project under horrible threats of prosecution once they reached Konoha. The duck-haired boy had tried to force Kurenai into snagging him with no success.

The clone did not look to the family that stood in the door of their home staring at his stern profile, the mother hoping and praying that this brave young man would not die for their sakes but grateful that someone would be willing to fight for them when they could not fight for themselves.

In her heart, she did not know if they could survive another day of abuse and brutalization. His act of defiance was a lifeline she desperately needed.

When the boy's face slowly transitioned from resolute defiance to overjoyed celebration, the father slowly stepped from the entryway of his small shop to stand by him, noticeably swallow his fear and slowly turned to look down the village street. He dared to hope.

What he saw was a bittersweet victory. What he saw gave him hope that his family might be okay from that day forward without the need of their blond defender.

The thugs were indeed walking up the street as they had been the past few days but, instead of their normal bravado, they were hunchbacked and subdued. Their faces were bruised and bloody, clothes ragged, and both had at least one eye partially or fully closed.

Their hands were tied behind their backs and their journey was being "assisted" by several ninjas in dark combat gear sporting stylized masks resembling a bearded animal. Once they were close enough and the thugs were kicked into kneeling positions, the family – and the people on the bridge – could see that they were modeled after foxes. Very angry foxes.

They all looked the same, almost identical except for the symbol in the middle of the mask's forehead. The four herding prisoners with batons of their own had numbers, and the pair of thugs were clearly not here voluntarily this time. The apparent leader wore a letter in his mask… it looked like the letter "C." He stood in front of the father and bowed low at the waist before moving to the mother and children and repeating the motion, this time his arms were held out in front of his hunched over body holding a baton that rested on his open palms.

It took a moment as the mother looked back and forth between the masked nin with the baton and the two kneeling prisoners, but she eventually understood his meaning. With a warm smile and a tear in her eye, she stepped forward and gently closed his fingers back over the baton indicating that she refused his offer. The lead shinobi bobbed briefly and stood, his crystal eyes meeting hers for long minutes before he moved to the father and held up the baton again, this time with one hand.

This time, the offer was accepted, and the bitter man vented his anger until both thugs were bloody messes on the street.

By the time he could no longer swing his arms, his chest heaving with lack of breath and tears streaming down his face for his terrorized family, one thug lay quivering and the other unconscious. The father screamed one last burst that started in the direction of the two that had threatened his family and stolen his family's sense of security and peace only to end up thrown to the heavens, his neck bulging and veiny as his rage dwindled out before an uncaring kami.

The leader embraced him without shame, a brother in arms to another brother, one hand cradling the back of his head to his battle-geared shoulder.

Most of the eyes on the bridge were leaking by then except for the scoffing Sasuke and his diehard fangirl. Tazuna flung a disgusted look to the two Team Seven members looking on in annoyance.

With the flick of a wrist, two of the four masked nins slung the thugs over their shoulders like they were sacks of rice and turned to walk off. The remaining two each had the swords of the now dead or dying henchmen and one took his war prize out of his sash and handed it to the father in the exact same fashion that their leader had offered the baton to the mother. Confused, the man accepted it thinking it a gift, his face clearly showing his confusion as his emotions played out across his reddened face.

It lasted until the leader of the rescuing nins, as by now dozens of similar scenes were being played out along the village street as hundreds of similarly dressed shinobi cleared out Gato's gang of thugs, did something that stole the breath from the lungs of everyone watching this small family's drama play to its conclusion.

When the baker turned away from the growing volumes of cheers erupting from the heart of his tiny village, he saw the leader of this group of nins, kneeling seiza fashion on the ground, with his vest opened by both hands to reveal his meshed chest underneath.

Then the meaning of the sword struck home.

He was offering his life in exchange for failing to protect the baker's family in a timely fashion. He was opening himself to a fatal blow from the girl's father with the very sword used by Gato's men to threaten his family.

Sakura, despite being a complete Sasuke fangirl, gasped and moved forward to stop this catastrophe only to find a female arm reaching across her chest to block her.

"Kurenai-sensei!"

The taller woman only shushed her with a hiss of air, a look of serious concern on her face as the scene played out. She had no idea which one was kneeling in the mask, the original or a clone, and her worry was real. In silence, she began molding chakra... just in case.

In shock, the man looked to his wife in confusion and back to the motionless ninja still kneeling before him. He was more than shocked – he was stunned and horrified, his hand opening to drop the unsheathed katana on the ground with a clang.

The nin's eyes in his mask never left the baker as he reached out and hefted the weapon, his arms lifting it horizontally and, with a gentle tug, separated the pommel from the sheath, the first two inches of the blade slithering free. One of the other nins wordlessly stepped alongside and just to the rear of the kneeling shinobi drawing his own blade in one smooth motion, the sharp end rising gracefully as he spread his feet nearly shoulder-width apart and waited.

A small hand alighted on the kneeling shinobi's wrist and the masked fox turned to lock eyes with the daughter. Her eyes were big and clearly scared, tears running freely as she calmly stared into the red crystals that stood for eyes in the emotionless wall of porcelain.

He stopped moving as the two locked gazes.

Every face watched as the two communicated silently for several minutes, the nin slowly re-sheathing the weapon and tossing it to one of the other silent guardians. Once the blade was clear, she slowly stepped into his embrace hugging her masked savior, the intimate embrace oddly out of place given the obscene levels of violence occurring throughout the village at the moment.

Sakura couldn't hear what was being said once the young girl lifted her head from his shoulder, but it was clear from the occasional head nod in agreement that the shinobi was speaking with her. A few more words of wisdom and the trio of remaining masks departed as silently as they came.

As a collective, the bridge crew and their guardians sighed their enormous relief and tried to make heads or tails of the odd liberation of Wave.

~I I I~

* * *

The rest of the operation wrapped up in short order.

The Daimyo's residence was quickly secured. The few bandits in hiding, waiting for things to blow over so they could escape with their hides intact, were easily found out and publicly executed.

The Daimyo made an appearance later that day, in full regalia, with her remaining retainers and a horde of masked ninja as her escort. She toured the Mayor's recovered home and the recovery process of the hospital and bank, which now had the stolen money back that Gato had been storing in his pilfered warehouse. She was pleasantly surprised to see the masked shinobi adding security seals to the building and its vault, helping her link her blood to the most secure storage compartments where she could keep the Daimyo's sacred documents away from thieving hands. She quickly reinstated one of her most trusted maidens, her Minister of Finance, as the new bank head with orders to return to normal business within the month.

The Daimyo also made an appearance in the village itself much to the surprise and confusion of Sasuke and Sakura, who were still lounging about on the bridge while Shino and Kurenai stood watch over the bridge builder. Sakura was feeding the lazy emo princess while Naruto's clones supplied the bulk of manual labor needed to complete construction, much to Tazuna's continued disgust and annoyance.

The Daimyo, recognizing the faces on the many replicas of her savior, deftly connected two and two realizing this army of skilled ninja that rescued her nation were all part of the same brave boy, the Uzumaki heir. She looked at him and blushed, much to Sakura's annoyance. Once she'd completed her visit to her people promising a better future for Wave, she purposely strode to the middle of the bridge to meet with the tall beauty watching over Tazuna-san.

The red-eyed kunoichi bowed while Tazuna stopped his work and knelt before his leader, a look of sublime pleasure slathered across his normally disgruntled face at the sight of his Daimyo alive and well.

Tazuna also nervously took note of the horde of masked ninja standing guard.

"We share a common ally."

Kurenai noted the familiar masks of the clone army at her back and smiled. "It is good that he was able to reach you in time."

The Daimyo of Wave Country took the taller woman's hands in her own and beamed with happiness.

"If I could repay him with more than my love, I would."

Sasuke gaped openly from his moody supervisory position but focused on the small army of foreign nin.

"He has done more for my country than you could know, and we are ever in his personal debt."

Kurenai blinked making a mental note to receive the gaki's full report later.

"Please inform your Hokage that we are saved. Gato is dead and, by our last reports, Zabuza has departed our shores courtesy of his negotiations."

Kurenai bowed low touching her forehead to the Daimyo's hands.

"Also, I asked that he return to my court before you depart. I ask that you return with him so that we may talk in peace."

Kurenai righted herself just as Sasuke strutted past, his new Sharingan (recently revealed in the desperate battle with Zabuza and the hunter nin) blazing at the disguised nin.

"You will unmask and make your presence known!" All in all, he sounded rather pleased with himself. The platoon leader, however, was much less impressed and merely scoffed.

Sasuke, as a result, was not pleased by the notable lack of respect.

"Don't you dare disrespect Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screeched out at the top of her lungs.

Kurenai look chagrined at their childish behavior and tried to apologize while waving the two petulant children off, but Sasuke would not be deterred.

The Daimyo of Wave was clearly not pleased by the treatment of her nation's savior and made a point to mention it to Hiruzen in her correspondence.

Sakura, lacking the wherewithal to be embarrassed by her pandering, stepped forward to smash a fist down onto the head of the nearest clone, which earned her a backhanded slap instead.

She landed hard on the bridge, her head and body spinning midair even as her mind reeled in shock._ 'How dare he!'_

At that exact moment, all three hundred of the mask-wearing nins stiffened, hands reflexively twitching to the hilts of the many, many tantos strapped to their backs. It was an eerie sound and, when multiplied by two hundred and ninety-nine others, downright frightening.

These mercenary nins were well-trained. They were _very_ well-trained.

Sasuke decided, for the first time in his life, that discretion truly served his purposes better and dragged-half-carried the dazed Sakura away with him. Only when they returned to the far end of the bridge in progress, did the legion of masked killers relax.

Kurenai, thoroughly embarrassed by Team Seven's lack of professionalism, tried to apologize again but the Daimyo would hear nothing of it.

"He spoke about those two, but I found it hard to believe anyone could be so dense. I shall have to make amends." She turned to Kurenai and embraced her as an old friend.

"Please take care of him when you are away from here. He needs someone to look after him and the pain he carries hidden inside." She turned and strode away back to the cheering people of her village leaving a very concerned Kurenai behind.

The resulting celebration would last for an entire week.

~III~

Naruto (the clone) stepped out then returned later that night with a busty blonde in flowing robes by his side (her gear stored in a fresh scroll the original Naruto had given her which she promptly pushed down between her large breasts as the borrowed robes had no pockets. Everyone stared so long Samui began to shift nervously from one foot to the other, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the one-eyed Jounin whose sole eye refused to lift to the level of her face continued to leer. Her hand nervously reached forward and meekly grabbed onto Naruto's jacket sleeve.

His hand reached across his body and gripped hers once in reassurance.

Hinata, though curious, walked over and hugged the stranger (Samui stiffened and her body twitched) welcoming her to the home and offering tea to break the ice. Samui blinked, looked to Naruto, who returned the look and nodded once as if to say it was okay, then peacefully allowed herself to be led away by the bluenette.

Sakura stormed up to the golden blond and began to berate him for bringing home a strange woman, as it was obvious from the kunoichi grapevine that he already had both Hinata and Ino. Weren't those two enough for him?

Both Samui's eyes narrowed dangerously and Tatsua growled at the Rosette.

Naruto merely sighed and brushed past her, not even bothering to respond, before clasping hands with Shino. "Sorry for being… preoccupied."

Shino waved it away. "Your clones have been more than helpful. We are nearly ready to return home."

Naruto nodded in agreement and Tsunami set out another plate for dinner having recently had her pantry restocked by a revitalized Nami economy. They would all eat very well that night.

Hinata was quietly chatting at Samui who politely listened, her eyes darting to the blond shinobi with affection and to the pinkette with annoyance. Hinata noticed both and smiled.

"You will come to love him as I do."

Samui's shocked look, as her head whipped to the shorter Hinata, tried to deny it but the bluenette merely laughed it away.

"Deny it all you wish but he is a good man with a heart large enough to love the three of us. You will become our sister and together, we will keep him safe."

Samui didn't have a response to that so she said nothing. It was not a normal thing to hear. And who was this third woman, at least she hoped it was a woman? She looked back to the pink-haired creature and hoped it wasn't her at least. Hinata must have read her mind and giggled.

"No, it's not Sakura."

Samui sighed in relief. Loudly.

"That's cool," Samui whispered out sounding more like herself than in the last few weeks.

The night passed in quiet conversation until it was time for people to break up and go to their respective rooms. Hinata tried to pull Samui along upstairs but the woman, distraught over Naruto's treatment by the arrogant Sasuke, who spent a large portion of the night competing with Kakashi for her attention while either staring at or talking to her breasts while continuously insulting the "Dobe," who she rapidly deduced to be Naruto, shot out of the house and followed the blond below where she spent the night sharing his bedroll.

Naruto, who had just begun to drift off to a well-earned sleep, was awakened by Samui's very curvy body wriggling into his sleeping bag, rubbing along his entire length in doing so, and snuggling up to his front while pulling his arm around her waist with her head sharing his other arm as a pillow. His body warmth eased her nerves immediately, and she soon drifted off into the first deep slumber she'd had in many weeks.

He ignored the fact that she slept naked. As did the four clones he set up as guards, the traitors.

'_What will you do with this Kitsune from Cloud, Taichou?' _

Naruto wasn't sure. _'We'll have to see if she can repair her soul first, Sua-chan. Then we will see.'_ With her curvy body pressed against his own, he drifted off to a fitful sleep. Eventually.

~III~

* * *

_At the Southern Fire Shore Across From Wave Country…_

His name was Kaminohono Tseguro, a proud fifth-generation samurai from the Land of Fire, and he was wondering for the fourth time on this journey why his Lord had forsaken him so. As he waited for the bridge he could see some twenty meters off the coast of Hi no Kuni to get completed, he frowned at this assignment from the Fire Daimyo to establish an elite guard for the Land of Waves to support his smaller neighbor but complete it he would.

A samurai does not question the will of his lord.

For the second time, he wondered who these shinobi were that left such a bloody scene near the small coastal village's entry and if he would need to eliminate them in order to liberate Wave.

He hoped so. By the Great Buddha, he could use a good fight.

~III~

* * *

_Back in Wave Country…_

The following days blended into a familiar routine. Naruto spent his nights in the mindscape learning about history and _Fūinjutsu_ from Ienaga. Hinata would spend her time bonding with Samui, learning of her home, and sharing her future plans with Naruto. Both would spend their time avoiding and ignoring Kiba and Sasuke's attempts to win Samui over and Kakashi's attempts to corner her (amazing how spry the nearly-dead Jounin was suddenly).

Samui, when away from the house, stayed by Naruto's side with Hinata, who no longer needed to tend to the still "weakened" Kakashi. Inside the house, she split her time between sitting with the other women (minus Sakura who fought to keep her Sasuke-kun away from the hussie) or sitting on Naruto's lap, just to irritate the other three men desperately doing their best to annoy her. Often, Hinata and Samui double-teamed their favorite ninja plushy and sandwiched him between them both, making the eyes bug out on Kiba and Kakashi.

Sasuke merely hid in the corner and pouted. With longing looks at the happy threesome, Sakura tried to join him repeatedly with no success.

Kakashi, in order to clear the males away from Samui, boldly announced he would be teaching his team something new while Kurenai and Team Eight guarded Tazuna. Kurenai asked if they could "observe" his magnificent training event before reporting for guard duty, to which a gloating Kakashi agreed (he figured that he'd get to spend time with Samui while they trained). After proudly demonstrating tree climbing, his face fell flat when Hinata, Samui, Shino, and Naruto promptly ran to the top of the tallest trees they could find, all evenly balanced on the very tip.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba all stared in disbelief, then glared hatefully at their lazy sensei.

Kurenai scoffed and called her team down as they all sauntered off towards the bridge, Samui in tow. Naruto would later summon an army of clones that would strip down from the waist up and sweat away with the rest of the laborers. More songs followed this workday and the bridge vibrated with stomping feet and harmonizing voices.

Kurenai (though she hid it well), Samui, and Hinata all drooled for a good portion of the following day. So did many of the single (and secretly married) women of Wave as they watched their hero labor on the bridge _en massé_.

These were the happiest of days for the three women staring at the sweaty clones then hungrily eyeing the original sweating alongside them. Many women from the village coming to deliver lunches to workers lingered a great deal longer than was appropriate, some having to be ushered off by concerned husbands and boyfriends, boyfriends especially.

Back in the tree line, Kakashi sat glumly as he watched his team struggle (all except for Sakura who picked it up immediately) to master the exercise.

Zabuza never resurfaced much to Sasuke's torment. No one knew why, and the egomaniac wanted a rematch.

Two days before they were to depart, Kurenai and Naruto were summoned to the Daimyo's court, which meant Samui, Shino and Hinata followed as part of his team. Sasuke felt snubbed but did not press his luck with the particularly hostile fox nins about (Naruto had been providing fresh guards at the end of every day). After the elaborate greeting Naruto received, much to the surprise of his team, they were greeted like royalty and served as equals.

Barring a side conversation between the leader and Naruto, who received a gold-encrusted scroll with a deep bow, it was a pleasant morning highlighted by Naruto being dubbed the "Hero of Wave Country," complete with an honorary lordship to Wave Country and a parcel of land he could later build a mansion upon. Only Samui smiled in complete understanding as she knew the entire history behind his recent achievements, but his companions earned a bit of her trust when they encouraged him, rather than heaping derision on his head as she had seen Sasuke and his team do.

Alas, the time flew all too quickly, and they departed to the well-wishes of the Daimyo and her court.

Naruto promised to tell Hinata everything when they got home. Hinata was having none of it and crawled into his bedroll before he could fall asleep and put her nose inches from his until he crumbled and relayed the story, all the while Samui crouched impatiently less than a meter away urging him silently to "get on with it."

It would be an hour before Hinata would, with some reservations from a few "gaps" in his story (S-Class secrets and all), kiss her Naruto-kun on the nose and wriggle her way from the sleeping bag and return to her own bedroll in the home above, leaving a very flustered Naruto behind as a result from her body repeatedly grinding and rubbing against his own. She felt bad as she could feel his anatomy stiffen from the effects of her proximity, but she'd try to make it up to him later. Always later.

Samui had no such reservations.

Sliding into the now vacated, and recently warmed, half of Naruto's bedroll after stripping down, she felt his firm reaction sliding along her naked backside. Looking over her shoulder to the very red-faced genin, she rolled over completely and pressed her body against his, his hand twitching against the soft skin of her back.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Taichou?"

Naruto's face twitched, his mouth opening and closing as his eyes filled with the sight of her cleavage causing his brain to shut down. She cupped his face and made him look her in the eyes.

"You may take me any time you wish but why do you let her frustrate you like this?"

Naruto's eyes slid closed as he tried to restart his brain, his body very much aware of her flesh pressed against his, what it was doing to his hormones, and his promise to not take her. His inner voice was calling him an idiot very loudly at this point.

He tried to roll away, but she rolled over with him, her body ending up on top of his as the whole bedroll shifted. Her legs clamped down on either side of his body, her hands still trapping the sides of his face. She could feel his body pulsing between her legs and it made her flush with warmth.

"Y-You don't understand. She wants to wait until we're married and I w-want to honor her wishes." Samui blinked. He was either very naïve and she was taking advantage of him, or he was very sweet and romantic, something fatal to heartless killers like shinobi. He glanced down at her cleavage then back to her face.

"Could you umm… slide off so we can go to sleep." Samui grinned evilly.

"No, I don't think so."

His eyes bulged.

"You are very comfortable, and I think I'm going to stay where I am."

The sounds leaking from his mouth weren't any language she had heard before.

"If you want to move me, you have two perfectly good arms for it."

Naruto was beside himself. She slept in the buff and moving her meant he had to put his hands on her. While not a bad proposition, it made him feel dirty as many, many sexual thoughts fed through his mind. He'd just met her after all and she was no doubt in a less than stable place after what she'd been put through.

When she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, he tried to roll over only to find her legs braced to either side. He couldn't just roll her over and it only served to press her chest more into his own as she actively resisted him. By this point, his erection was becoming painful, so he settled in on his back and tried not to think about the incredibly beautiful (and incredibly naked woman) lying on top of him.

It was a VERY long time before he calmed down enough to go to sleep.

To make matters worse, she chose to sleep that way for the remainder of the time they spent in Wave saying it was more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.

Three days later with the work finished, the Leaf nins said their farewells and crossed the completed bridge while Tazuna was trying to name it, passing the contingent of samurai from the Fire Country's Daimyo, each side providing respectful nods, as the armored blade wielders sought out their temporary host.

Naruto's clones would release themselves later after providing the necessary background for why there were there, easing his concern over the fledgling nation's new security. In time, they would be a fully functioning nation, one he could build ties to should he ever rebuild his family home in Uzushiogakure.

Having been gone a month, Naruto turned his attention back to Konoha. He only had one pressing problem to deal with: he had no idea how to explain Samui to Ino.

The day-and-a-half journey back to Konoha highlighted several additional issues.

Sasuke, despite Sakura's opinion on the matter, felt that Samui belonged with the _Last Uchiha_, namely himself. His conviction only grew when she emerged from Naruto's tent the last morning of their trip wearing her usual kunoichi attire, her red-handled tanto secured in her sash. The fact that she cared nothing for him, evident by her foot connecting with his face at every opportunity, did nothing to alter his world view. She was a strong kunoichi and he deserved to have her at his side. He could finally focus on rebuilding his clan. For the life of him, he failed to understand why she failed to see this logic. This only increased Naruto's status as his hated rival.

Sakura clearly hated the more beautiful and far curvier kunoichi and her presence was a clear sign of disrespect to Hinata, whom she never really cared about before. Sakura made it her mission to spare the Hyuuga heiress any further grief and spent the trip trying to convince Kurenai to banish the buxom Cloud nin, which accomplished nothing more than irritating everyone, including her Sasuke-kun. This further increased her angst and hatred of the dreaded Naruto-baka as this was clearly part of his plan to part her from her beloved Sasuke-kun.

Kakashi, when he wasn't trying to seduce Samui, was trying to get Kurenai to explain what happened and how Naruto had captured an enemy nin and made her his personal slave, a term that earned him the anger of Kurenai, Hinata, Samui, Naruto, Shino, and Tatsua. He was largely ignored as a result, especially once he started trying to bribe Naruto with jutsu scrolls in exchange for "late evening time" with Samui.

That earned him a slap from Kurenai.

Samui spent her time flanking Naruto with Hinata on his other side. The entire way back, she wondered why he tolerated these idiots in Team Seven. Clearly, he was stronger than all of them and should, at some point, put the brooding Uchiha brat firmly in his place. Hinata explained that he had done just that multiple times but the _Last Uchiha_ was just that dense. Naruto ended up spending time trying to explain the situation back in Konoha, including his most hated enemy – the Konoha Council advising the Hokage. He hoped she would eventually understand why once she had time to grow accustomed to Konoha.

Suddenly her old life was just a little less horrible, and she found someone that needed her as much as she needed him. She'd found where she needed to be. Something clicked in her mind and hope blossomed in her heart.

Samui promised to find a three-person sleeping roll when they got to Konoha, so they could all snuggle on long trips. Hinata nearly passed out when she tried convincing the girl to sleep naked like she did. Sakura spit her tea out when she heard this and Kakashi nearly passed out from blood loss.

Samui, in her defense, had blocked them out and completely forgotten they were still there.

Naruto spent his nights in the mindscape running through the basic strikes and forms of his family's taijutsu. It was the safest way to study the form without Sasuke-teme trying to copy them with his recently-activated Sharingan from their encounter with Zabuza.

With Samui sleeping in his bedroll and on top of his body, Shino began displaying… unusual behavior, even bowing to Naruto and including the title "sama" when addressing the blond genin. Naruto couldn't understand the sudden interest and the boy's desire to stay near his new idol, often avowing (rather loudly) to earn the right to serve his mentor until he obtained his proper status as a living Buddha. Naruto tried to shrug it, and Samui's constant snickering, off as one of Shino's unusual quirks.

With advanced notice of their return, both teams arrived at the gate. Naruto landed just short of the watch post-Sasuke as the Uchiha and his team had run through already, Sasuke doing so that he could loiter for one last crack at Samui when another blonde missile tackled Naruto to the ground.

Naruto saw her coming and, instead of dodging, closed his eyes and braced for impact. It was only because Samui saw this play out that she didn't intercept the pony-tail wielding blonde.

"WELCOME BACK!" Naruto grinned up at Ino as her lips pressed firmly against his.

"It's good to… SMOOCH… be back…SMOOCH… Ino-chan."

Hinata tapped Samui on the shoulder and motioned to the blonde lady straddling the blond Kitsune as if to say, "_She's the third one_."

Samui merely nodded as the proverbial light came on in her head. The girl seemed… friendly enough. Her eyes narrowed when the pink-haired banshee stomped over to separate them. Having had enough, Samui blurred to stand directly in front of Sakura, mild killing intent leaking from her body and halting the angry pinkette.

"This does not concern you," she hissed.

Ino broke her kiss long enough to look up at the still jiggling blonde hoping that she looked like her in a few years. Whoever she was, she'd earned brownie points for blocking the angry pink banshee.

Every Leaf nin at the gate paused, some hands twitching towards kunai holsters.

Sasuke's eyes lit up – _she was a kunoichi and a strong one at that. She is perfect to help rebuild his clan!_

"Take another step near my master, and I will carve out your lungs with my blade." She delivered the threat evenly and without haste.

Ino's eyebrows raised before her head snapped down to the other sheepish blond. His "oops" face wasn't quite cute enough to get him off the hook.

"Wanna explain that one, _Na-ru-to-kun_?!" Ino's favorable impression of the kunoichi did not translate to the boy she'd been kissing very amorously not ten seconds before.

Sakura chose that moment to forgive Naruto and Ino their public immorality slinking off to rejoin Sasuke.

Sasuke wailed hearing Samui's use of the word 'master.'

Naruto rose and realized that this was all getting out of hand. He created a lesser clone and directed it to take Hinata, Ino, and Samui home. Hinata and Samui probably wanted to freshen up and he needed to make a report to the Hokage first. He'd be home as soon as he could. He asked for Ino's patience and would explain everything once he got home. He still owed Hinata some details and he didn't want to repeat himself to multiple people.

The clone replied with the usual, "Ossu!" and started walking to the other side of town, the girls following a moment later.

Naruto nodded to Kurenai and then headed off to the tower with his sensei, Kakashi and Sasuke pestering him the entire way about how he met her, how strong was she, what were her measurements (Kakashi), and other idiotic requests for information.

He ignored them in return.

At the Hokage's office, Kakashi let Sasuke give the mission report, which colored Team Seven in the most flattering of circumstances. The Hokage nodded with a polite smile then turned to Kurenai and Naruto, noticing (and not caring) that Kakashi and Sasuke stayed to gloat over their success despite not knowing what happened to Momochi Zabuza.

Kurenai nodded to Naruto who stepped forward to offer three scrolls. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hokage-sama, all three mission objectives completed satisfactorily."

_Three?_ Sasuke's dominant mission performance suddenly felt a little shaky.

Hiruzen nodded sagely as his pipe found its way into his mouth. He would read the details later.

"Our first mission to escort badly needed cargo by boat to Wave was completed in one and a half days. We departed as planned and encountered then defeated six pirate vessels intent on hijacking our vessel, the _Nami_ _Hebi."_

Sasuke snorted.

"And how did you deal with the pirates, Naruto? None of you are long-ranged combatants or a dolphin, like Iruka here." Kakashi would not tolerate embellishment during an official mission brief despite Sasuke's unique version of the truth.

Kurenai grinned and Naruto replied, "I made creative use of _Daibakuha Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ and water walking."

Iruka whistled in appreciation as Kurenai smugly placed that Captain's token on the Hokage's desk.

"Once ashore, we rendezvoused with Team Seven so that we could link up and protect Tazuna. As Team Seven previously stated, they had just completed their fight with Momochi Zabuza and his henchwoman, Haku, so we reset back to Tazuna's house for the rest of the day."

Sasuke interrupted his own preening and barked out a laugh. "Haku was a boy, dobe. You need your eyes checked."

Naruto promptly ignored him and pointed to the second scroll. "In there you will find my account of the rescue operation for the Daimyo of Water Country along with an enclosed personal letter with her royal seal."

Iruka's eyes grew round and Sasuke looked like he'd swallowed an apple. Whole.

"She has offered to renew Wave Country's long-absolved treaty with Fire Country provided her requests are agreed to."

The Hokage nodded noting he would review this with the Council. Kurenai had mentioned those "stipulations" in her advanced communique, but Naruto as an ambassador? He would need to consider that carefully.

"I take it there were no complications in her rescue?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Clearing out bandit strongholds predicated the easy rescue and return of solidarity back to the parent nation. Given that Kakashi-san injured Zabuza Momochi in their fight, it made infiltrating Gato's organization child's play. As we were leaving, the contingent from Fire Nation was arriving to establish her new guard."

Hiruzen sounded very pleased at this outcome. Fire Country had the chance to repair bridges burned with the fall of Uzushiogakure and establish close ties with a strongly situated neighbor. A water base to launch Fire missions from would go far to benefit Konoha.

Sasuke was sputtering like rapid-fire farts in an onsen. "Those _samurai_?!"

Kurenai and Naruto both nodded. "In securing the Daimyo, and destroying Gato's poppy infrastructure, we located him in his modified hideout."

Naruto unrolled the third scroll and unsealed the little man's discolored head.

"The money he stole from the country's banks, as well as the crops and other valuables he stole, were all returned to the nation, whose people immediately threw a week-long festival in celebration."

"Residual bandits?" the old man queried.

"Dead."

"And the final tally?"

Naruto didn't pause. "Nine-hundred and eighty-eight once those that went into hiding had been rooted out."

Kakashi and Sasuke were both wide-eyed and speechless.

"Good, Naruto. I will credit your team for the successful completion of the A-Class escort and I will credit you directly with two S-Class missions for infiltration-assassination and diplomatic rescue missions. I will delay the A-Class capture and conversion of the Cloud Jounin, Shimizu Samui, until she has had her interview with Ibiki. If she converts, you'll gain the necessary credit for the Bingo bounty of twenty million." Hiruzen pulled out a thickly-padded envelope and slid it across his desk to Naruto who palmed it and slid the package into his pouch.

"Here are the bounties for Gato's head. Fifty million Ryu in gold bonds to be paid upon delivery."

Kakashi and Sasuke were both trying to figure out how he accomplished all this while working on the bridge as mule labor then it made sense – shadow clones! Then Sasuke's mind immediately switched subjects upon hearing two words in reference to the same subject, _Samui and Jounin_.

Sasuke's eyes glittered with the thought of stealing the powerful shinobi from Naruto. She would be his crowned jewel. Besides, Uchiha Samui sounded _much_ better than Uzumaki Samui.

Hiruzen turned to them both. Everything in here is an SS-Class secret. IF EITHER of you discusses this, I will have BOTH of you locked away at Ibiki's disposal. Is that understood?"

They both nodded dumbly.

The Hokage turned back to Naruto. "How did you deal with Zabuza?"

Naruto shrugged as if it were unimportant but Sasuke perked up.

"Gato had money set aside to pay the nuke nin he intended to double-cross, so I took it once he was dead and paid off what he owed him. Zabuza, once paid, had no reason to remain in-country. He and his apprentice were last seen leaving Wave three days before we departed for home."

The Sandaime nodded happily seeing how things appeared to be neatly wrapped up. "Get some rest Naruto. You've earned it."

Kurenai and Naruto bowed together before strolling out past the stunned duo from Team Seven. Naruto had never felt better than when he was looking at the stupid looks on both Kakashi and Sasuke's faces.

For Sasuke's inner monologue, jealousy was the theme of the day. The _dobe_ of his class had eclipsed his performance and successfully completed missions tied to high political value, earning a reputation among very powerful people. He was now tied to not one, but two Daimyo's and the personal savior of one. That fifty-million bounty only rubbed more salt in the Samui-wound making it that much harder to woo her away now that Naruto wasn't dead broke anymore (Sasuke didn't know about Naruto's connection to the Arashi Seal Consortium, his current net worth, or the billions being stolen at that very moment from Gato's foreign bank accounts).

As far as he knew, he was being left behind by the _dobe! _ He would need to act _soon_. He left Hokage Tower a very unhappy and unfulfilled genin.

Meanwhile, Naruto waved farewell to his sensei, gently pinched her rear (resulting in a slight shriek of surprise on her part), then leaped from roof to roof to find his way home. What he found there wasn't anything like what he expected.

~I I I~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes - Ecology of the Nami Affair**

Holy Ramen! You would not believe the amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth this Arc caused in the original release. Yes, the more controversial bridge sequences caused outrage (warranted), but the biggest grief came (and still appears to be an issue) over Sasuke being placed in charge over Kurenai (only slightly less so for Naruto being given the S-Ranked assassination mission).

Breathe people.

Are you breathing? Good. Now listen up as this is the only place I'm going to explain the "Why" behind the "What" of this particular sore spot. By sore spot, I meant, "Why the Hell is Sasuke in Charge" sore spot.

Let's begin with Hiruzen's actual assignment of the mission. I explicitly left out his detailed justification in giving Sasuke the "Second" spot and the following diplomatic mission being assigned to Naruto for one very important reason: It's a Dictatorship. Hiruzen isn't required to explain the reasoning behind his decisions but I see this abused in just about every fanfiction involving the Hidden Leaf. He simply doesn't have to and, in the vast majority of cases, shouldn't if he wants to maintain good order and discipline in a militaristic city/ organization like the one he rules over.

It doesn't mean that Kurenai isn't sharp enough to figure it out on her own just that she's not expecting an explanation.

If Hiruzen has to defend every decision with an explanation, eventually people begin to question orders. That eventually leads to people deciding - on their own - which orders they will and won't follow without understanding the bigger picture.

That's bad for a military dictator of any kind and often leads to vicious war crimes and abuses of power.

Does this suck for you, the reader? Of course, it does. You're curious. You want to know who-what-when-why-where and not knowing frustrates you. Now imagine how Hiruzen's subordinates must feel? I've served in the military and had to both deal with and issue orders in the same fashion - newsflash! It's aggravating as all get out but professionals deal with it. Constantly. Civilians usually don't "deal" well in those situations because you often feel like you should know the why behind what you're being asked to do and therein lies the difference. Shinobi, like the military of any country, aren't usually "asked" to do something.

That's why they are called "orders."

Kurenai got her one shot to express concern before her leader and then was told, in no uncertain terms, to "Shut Up and Color with a Fresh Box of Crayons."

**Hiruzen continuing with his orders is, in effect, the equivalent of saying,**_ "Your objection has been noted and summarily ignored. Moving on..."_

But there is more to this so now that we've looked at why I didn't dig more into the dynamic, let's look at what I did and didn't share with you, the reader.

Despite some of the indicators I added to this version alluding to the fact that Hiruzen's decision is clearly "not a normal option for a fresh Genin squad," he gave it and they followed it. If you've forgotten what those indicators were, see Kyuubi's comment about sending an ANBU squad near the top of the chapter or Kurenai's inner thoughts concerning how difficult her squad's reaction to the order modification would make their mission. Kurenai is aware that the modification is unusual because of her rank but note how she's already made the decision to carry out the Hokage's orders as if it was an order she gave?

Yeah, yeah... I can hear all of you armchair warriors out there screaming, "Bullshit! She's a Jounin and he's a boot-Genin!" AND that brings me to the main point behind the odd set of orders: She followed the order because she's a well-trained Jounin with a specialized career field in a professional military organization. For those of you that have served, you'll have some idea of where I'm going with this. For the rest of you grinding your molars, refill your coffee/ tea and cop a squat.

Not every nation has a professional military (buying a general's uniform from an online surplus store and naming yourself 'Generalisimo' doesn't count) and it takes a lot to build and maintain one. I've read countless fanfics, even the really good ones, that gloss over this fact because audiences find it tedious filler information that they could honestly care less about but it creates more plot holes than you'd think. You need more than just warm bodies to make one.

**You need a method for initial and supplementary training to keep up your professional military** (most fanfics have that with an academy and OJT through a Jounin but skip out on the steps that come after they hit Chunin - don't feel bad, Kishimoto does the same thing).

**You need a way to differentiate between your frontline combat and support troop infrastructure.** This is more important than you think and the reason why the world has organizations like NATO and the Geneva Convention.

**You need a method to regulate and discipline your military and most just flat out ignore that other than a Council Tribunal or corporal punishment.** There's actually a lot more to that than you'd think.

**You need established tactics, techniques, and procedures for when your military gets into it with another force, be they brigands or another professional military** (Line up like the British did in WWII with the Germans and trenching it out doesn't cut it these days and teamwork exercises aren't enough to teach everything).

**You need an established logistics organization to keep your military fed, clothed, and equipped. ** Do you honestly believe that a bunch of merchants selling specialty equipment and the ANBU armory can keep up with tens of thousands of active and reserve shinobi? Really? Hey, let me interest you in the latest batch of high-tec combat gear I picked up at a great price...

And that's just the beginning. The sad part of it is that nearly every fic ignores the training piece of it. Genin aren't blank slates when they get to their Jounin instructors. The academy, even Konoha's half-assed broken one, teaches students how to set up a camp, basic military protocol and chain of command policies, hand to hand combat, basic equipment maintenance, basic security/patrol mechanics, basic unit tactics & formations, and the basics to infiltration/ assassination. Hell, Kakashi proved it in canon when he ordered them to get into a "Manji Formation" without having to explain it when Team 7 first met Zabuza. There is a LOT of stuff behind a military organization that you just don't have the time to get into to keep an anime show or fanfic entertaining.

We'll just ignore the fact that Naruto was a blockhead that didn't pay attention because he's not one in my fanfic. It also means that, as good shinobi, he is not exempt from following established procedures and verifying the level of threat associated with his target before trying to assassinate him, which he does through his clones. I was very deliberate in dragging that out in the pre-mission planning phase to prove a point: Naruto is a professional shinobi in a professional military and he knows his procedure. He also made the tactical decision that he didn't need Kurenai to support him through Genjutsu - that does not mean that Kurenai is not the tactical leader of his mission to kill Gato. As his Jounin, she is still on the hook to make sure he does not fail. Why do you think she listens in on his mission planning/briefing so much?

She simply has very little reason to get involved (what, did you really think she'd let a fresh Genin go completely solo despite the low threat of a civilian?).

But what does all of that mean for this story?

It means that Kurenai knows enough to not overly contest her orders and that she'll get supplementary instructions in the scroll that the Hokage gave her (and ordered her to keep on her at all times) that I intentionally did not share with the readers. It also means that despite her recent promotion to Jounin instructor and by Kishimoto's own admission, she is still a _specialist_ which, in my fanfic, makes her a combat support kunoichi and not a frontline heavy combatant, like Kakashi and the members of his Genin squad.

You don't have to agree with me. That's okay. It's still the reality of the mission and it's done for a reason.

Sorry, you don't get to see behind every curtain but you can believe that she shared her mission assignment (through the scroll) with Kakashi as soon as they got settled in Tazuna's house, which is in keeping with standard shinobi procedures.

If you've served in any professional military, you know the difference between unrestricted and restricted (or staff enlisted/officers as they are called) military positions (basically the difference between an infantry officer and a supply officer). For those of you not familiar with the distinction, the impact of such a distinction is simple: if most of the leadership at a forward base is wiped out due to enemy action and the only two leaders left are a brand new infantry officer and a mid-grade supply officer, the brand new infantry officer becomes the one in charge. In a professional military and with very few exceptions, this becomes the reality and everyone in that forward base knows it. Do they hate it? Yes. Do they think they'll most likely all die because of it? Probably. Is that brand new infantry officer scared shitless? Most definitely... but it's their reality and it's a similar concept I employed for the Nami mission.

Simply put, the troops would rather follow the guy or gal that graduated from "Knife and Fork" school but can kill you with his pack shovel - if he needed to - versus the guy or gal that spent their whole career counting knives and forks.

You don't think that the first scroll they were given (not the secret get-out-of-shinobi-prison-free one) had additional instructions? How about that it enforced the modified chain of command so that Kurenai could focus her efforts on supporting her Genin assigned to assassinate Gato provided that their initial intelligence gathering upon arrival (oh, look... another standard procedure we didn't spell out) confirmed that the little bastard didn't have more shinobi in his employ? Wouldn't the fact that Zabuza was still incapacitated and the fact that Gato didn't have other missing-nin in his employ mean that a shinobi capable of sneaking past and avoiding ANBU would be capable of sneaking past bandits and thugs to kill one non-threatening civilian an acceptable risk?

I'm not going to rehash the internal/ external political concerns Hiruzen used to justify the mission for Naruto. I've already done that in the chapter. The Daimyo has every right to claim his mission is an S-Ranked based on the level of political sensitivity. That is his right as the supreme power of his land.

What do you think would happen if word got out that a petty criminal kidnapped and/ or executed a Daimyo? Do you think it would matter to other crooks whether it was an established billionaire with lots of support behind him or that the Daimyo was a "poor country ruler" with no military to defend her? Nope. Before you know it, there will be Daimyo's getting kidnapped left and right and that undermines the power of EVERY Daimyo, regardless of country. It's politically sensitive to the Daimyo. It's time-sensitive as it needs to get resolved quickly.

Why can't, eh... ANBU do it? They can't because they're stretched thin between their normal duties and doing the Uchiha's local policing job. He simply doesn't have the available ANBU (at the moment) to spare without risking Konoha to outside forces. It's a judgment call and Hiruzen made it.

End Story: It's an S-Ranked, Hiruzen can't ignore it, and Naruto's team is his quickest option (for various reasons) until Gai and his squad return and redeploy.

~III~


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** I almost forgot how therapeutic writing could be even if pulling together a massive amount of story threads in one chapter (No More) is kicking my rear. I figured taking a break to update this fic would be a nice reprieve. A few thoughts before continuing with the story:

**#AJGuardian, biginferno, and Hamburgboi:** Thank you and don't worry - there is plenty more left in the tank.

**#Ismenian, OreosAreYummy: ** This isn't a senseless bash-fic. There's more behind their behavior but it isn't time to focus on the Sharingan Twins... yet. A bit of that appears in this chapter as I pull more of the sequel into the story vice using flashbacks in a second fanfic. Note: Only one of the below scenes with Kakashi is new. Oddly enough, this is also about the time I received comments about senselessly bashing poor Sasuke-kun during the first release so I guess this chapter was more "good timing" than "blind luck," eh?

**#Plums:** Good catch on the Yondaime slip - corrected. As to Sakura's disrespect, go back and carefully read the interaction she is involved in; Sakura's focus is not on the Daimyo but the masked ninja that scoffed at Sasuke's outburst, the same one she tried to attack and got struck down by. Seeing as Kakashi deemed the outcome of her actions sufficient punishment, it doesn't come up again beyond the final report to the Hokage, who agrees (if she'd insulted or attacked a Daimyo or the Daimyo's actual retinue, she'd have been killed immediately). The Daimyo was not pleased but the disrespect was neither directed at her or her people (these are not her shinobi) and handled immediately by the person in question. Since they bear the symbol of Konohagakure, she is more than happy to let Hiruzen deal with any additional punishment. Kurenai is apologizing to the Daimyo in the hopes that she can contain the violence and prevent her "acting guard" from retaliating further against Team Seven.

**#AinzNamikazeD:** Never fear - I actually welcome constructive feedback, positive or negative. I really only take issue with folks that like to harass or denigrate without contributing to the conversation, be it through helpful criticism or their own works. I found your comments very helpful especially since I'm in the process of merging two stories into one composite. It's very likely that I overlooked something without intending to. That being said, I went back to look over all of your points and made corrections in the appropriate places, so thank you for helping me improve the story for everyone's enjoyment. We are all better than the sum of our parts. To some of your points:

1) It's not that Naruto's knowing prior to the Hokage's admission in his office is a mistake. It specifically began with Kyuubi's mentioning of his mother and her use of memories to (correctly) teach him the "Floating Leaf" taijutsu style taught in the academy. He knows long before Hiruzen admits it aloud, something Hiruzen expects when he doesn't get an obvious reaction. Naruto intentionally pretends not to know in order to find out what Hiruzen knows and how much he's willing to reveal. By the time they have that conversation in Hiruzen's office, Naruto knows a great deal more than Hiruzen up to and including how his parents died and why.

2) Ah, the Miko. During the original release, I was asked repeatedly for more scenes including the Miko - who was originally supposed to be a one-shot scene. Her shrine is located near a training area but not located within one as that would be dangerous obviously. No, she was meant as a method for showing that not every part of Naruto's life was filled with angst, drama, and violence; it was meant to show that some sections of his life were indeed filled with normal, healthy interactions, unlike his encounter with Hana.

3) Like you, I try not to write angst for the sake of angst and the angst in this story, per the intro, is supposed to share or highlight a purpose. The boat scene with Kurenai, the ramen stand with Hana, the worry with Hinata over the CRA all point to items of possible friction. Naruto's desire for revenge definitely isn't normal behavior for the "Chosen One" and there is a reason for that which will be brought to light later in the story, but it is a very real driving force in his life at the moment (and Inuzuka Pagu was, at the time, the next target in his crosshairs). The others point to stressors in his life that he'll have to face eventually, very real problems he has no one, at this point, acting as a male role model to guide him through. Hinata is trying her best to help him and was actually on her way to see him when she came upon the scene at Ichiraku's. It was the conversation that stopped her from stepping in early on as she, like everyone else listening, got a rare peek at the pain behind Naruto's ocean blue peepers. She is his number one stalker after all and sometimes she forgets to not move around in stalker mode, which she was at the time.

I believe that addresses this round of reviews. As always, thank you for taking the time to provide feedback as it helps catch things I overlook.

I will admit that this story is the most controversial one I've written despite being my first original work... and there is more to come yet. I imagine this chapter will cause some to fall away but that's okay; that's their choice.

Ye have been warned.

~III~

**Caution-****Caution-****Caution:** This chapter includes minor adult content involving the main protagonist. If this bothers you, you are encouraged to not read it. I include a BTS at the bottom discussing why the scene is left in the story as it plays to the overarching point of "Nature versus Nurture," which is the main focus of this fanfic. If you find yourself unable to bear through the admittedly brief section, again, you are encouraged to not read it and skip past the warning sections highlighted in **BOLD TEXT referencing Green Citrus**.

_~Siva'a-tasi~_

~III~

* * *

**Chapter 21: Homecoming**

~III~

* * *

What he expected was to find an angry or even partially-disturbed Ino railing in Samui's face while tiny Hinata tried to hold her back. He expected to find her rage turn on him the moment he arrived, demanding that the newcomer be turned out to the streets as he should be happy to be surrounded in the nubile flesh of the two women that loved him best, even if they couldn't marry yet or had decided to refrain from surrounding him in their actual nubile flesh for another four years.

Sounds fair, right?

What he found as he entered the door to his home, now opened by one of the new Kitsune servants, was the sound of Ino's wailing voice, her sobs pulling him to the back veranda overlooking the training yard. Looking for an explanation from the servant that opened the door only earned him an apologetic smile.

Apparently, this scene had been a recent development.

On the veranda was a very confused Samui sitting seiza with her hands resting on her knees as she faced the distraught Ino, whose arms were wrapped around the older woman's neck. Ino was wailing into her shoulder, soaking her shirt in salty tears. Hinata completed the triangle, gently rubbing Ino's back while the younger blonde let her pain out for the world to hear, oblivious to the miserable servants standing in the corner holding warm hand towels and tea, clearly torn between fleeing and trying to ease her suffering.

Those same servants bolted at Naruto's hand gesture, leaving the items on a nearby coffee table and a very grateful look on their faces at the chance to be anywhere else.

Samui's face immediately locked onto him, her eyes silently pleading for him to intervene. So, intervene he did.

"Um… Ino-chan?"

He had to call her name a few times before she recognized his arrival. Without regard to the few days of road grime, Ino unlatched from Samui, much to the latter's relief, and launched herself at the clan head, her arms wrapping around his neck only to resume her emotional distress. Between her gasps and sobs, he pieced together the rest.

He was also beginning to see Ino as the deeply-feeling and emotionally-free sunflower that she was. It was a tiring concept for the young man if he was being at all honest.

It seems that Hinata had been trying to explain why Samui was staying there to a very concerned, and suddenly territorial, Ino. When Hinata told her about how the kunoichi was kidnapped by Zabuza, under Gato's orders, later be ransomed back to her village only to be forsaken by her Raikage, and later raped by the despot Gato as a result, only to be heroically saved by Naruto before maybe being tragically sold into a life of sex slavery and then her subsequent pledging of her life in the service to her hero, the distraught Ino had gone from wariness to enthrallment, then to sorrow, then to abject misery all on Samui's behalf. And that was how Naruto came upon her with Hinata trying to console the wreck of a blonde who hadn't yet heard how the entire trip went.

Heck, he still had to tell the whole story to Hinata, but that would wait until he'd had a proper shower. He didn't smell at all proper to his own nose, Kitsune or not. First, however, he needed to extricate himself from Ino's grasp and work his way to the bath.

It took a few minutes to calm her enough to let him go with promises of returning after he'd had a shower. First, they needed to get Samui situated (he sorely wanted that shower), they'd all eat a good meal, then he'd share his side of the adventure (listening-while-not-listening in the kitchen, Mio-chan and her kitchen staff began frantically preparing lunch).

It didn't take Hinata long in Wave Country to figure out he'd subbed in a clone while he went off to do whatever it was he did, and now she was curious, very curious as to how he'd received a title for saving the entire nation, freeing scores of slaves, and wiping out an army of brigands all on his own.

With a gentle kiss to his two fiancés, Naruto motioned for Samui to come with him and, taking one of her hands into his, eliciting a light pinking of her cheeks in the process, he led her upstairs to the two wings of suites on either side of the master bedroom motioning for her to choose one. She chose the one closest to the master bedroom that would allow her access to sunrises (it took only a moment to drop off her meager belongings and emerge again).

"This is your home now, Samui. Welcome and I hope we grow to understand each other. I hope it leads to something better than the pain you have felt before today."

Naruto turned to his room congratulating himself on a sappy speech well-delivered and peeling off his grungy shirt, tossed said shirt into his hamper (servants meant his room stayed much cleaner than he kept it even if he wasn't as messy as he used to be) then turned around to close his door only to come chest-to-chest with Samui, who had chosen to follow him inside. Before he could ask his startled question or dissuade her by promising to come back after a quick shower, Samui placed both hands on his mesh-covered chest and gently pushed him further into the room enough so that she could close the door with an audible click of the lock and begin removing her own clothes.

Now Naruto knew that she was Kitsune both through Tatsua's help and the fact that it was the main reason why she slept naked; no kitsune could maintain their shape change while asleep without the use of special seals utilized right before going to bed. He got to see the results of a good night's sleep for Samui every morning she awoke either next to or on top of him in Nami. Which tribe she belonged to could come later, but, for now, he wasn't sure if she was in season or not.

His recently expanded Kitsune education through Tatsua still fresh in his mind was sending off warning signals that this behavior was not normal. Did he reject her only to cause more pain? Was she simply trying to work off the debt she felt she owed him, and would his refusal be seen as an insult? He didn't know and not knowing had frozen him in place. Taking his silence as consent, Samui continued with her plan and the immediate removal of her clothing.

So, he simply stood there while Samui slipped off her shirt and mesh, her large breasts heaving free and swinging forward as she added her sash and skirt to the growing pile, urging on his growing blush and bulging anatomy. She stepped forward out of her pile of garments and surgically removed his armor, greaves, shirt, and mesh, her heady scent, like warm desert sand in the morning, filling his nose. At this point, he was so much putty in her hands.

She had absolutely no difficulties as she led him to the bath and drew hot water in a tub big enough for a dozen people.

While she started filling the tub, Naruto slipped off his reinforced pants and boxers before wrapping a towel around his waist fast enough to resemble a henge. Samui chuckled but figured she could work with what she had. He didn't need to be completely naked to mark her.

Dropping him onto a wooden bench, she grabbed a showerhead and ran it over his aching muscles, the relief momentarily letting him forget the naked and well-endowed woman behind him rubbing his stiff shoulders. The next moan from his mouth had everything to do with a tired and sore young man enjoying her strong fingers kneading into sore and resistant muscles.

Her massaging fingers were shortly thereafter replaced by a soapy cloth, Samui's ministrations easing weeks of work from his body relaxing him enough that he released his transformation, his four tails splaying out behind him and around her legs. Samui leaned forward, her breasts pressing against his back, and inhaled deeply, her cheek pressed firmly to his neck. For a moment, the briefest of moments, Tatsua's warning about kunoichi using their charms to get close enough to assassinate targets flashed through his mind and he tensed.

Feeling him tense and misunderstanding his reluctance, Samui quickly stepped around him and wrapped her arms around his head pressing his face into her soapy chest. So positioned, she straddled his lap and met him stare for stare as he looked up from between her large mounds. Cupping the back of his head, she held him locked onto her eyes while her legs locked behind his waist.

"I will never hurt you, Taichou."

He blinked. Could she read minds?

"I need you to know this, to believe it. I need you to know that my loyalty, that my all, is yours." She squeezed her thighs just enough to drag out a grunt from his disloyal lips.

"But I also need you to understand that I am Kitsune, that I am a grown woman and that my love is not to be cast aside or passed off to another." She stared hard into his eyes making sure he understood or at least heard her.

"I need to be marked as yours. I will not suffer the sniffing of fools like that Uchiha brat." Her face grimaced as she remembered the pale-faced Genin and his lecherous sensei.

~III~

* * *

Kakashi sneezed very suddenly, his visible eye going wide as the eruption paused his report mid-sentence. With a quick shake of his head, he bobbed a quick bow of apology to the person he was conversing with.

"Apologies, Hokage-sama. Where was I?"

Hiruzen smiled warmly. "You were saying how confident you were in your deception."

The silver cyclops chuckled. "Hai-hai! So I was." Idly rubbing a finger under where his nose should be in his mask, the elite Jounin leaned back in the chair and resumed his report.

"Naruto suspects nothing that I can tell, even with his army of clones. To my eternal shame, they _all_ see me as the unfairly biased Uchiha supporter and extreme pervert." The elite's eye scrunched up unhappily at the thought.

Hiruzen could plainly see that the idea was distasteful to the seasoned war veteran who suddenly threw his hands into the air with an exasperated sigh.

"Maa-maa Hokage-sama, how long must I keep this up? You know I hate this."

Hiruzen understood his concerns and sighed sadly. "I'm afraid, as long as it takes Kakashi. Why be bothered by this now? Before you realized who the child's father was?" Hiruzen's eyes took on a very shrewd gleam.

"In fact, you showed very little interest in him until his talents began to show in the academy, isn't that right?"

Kakashi grunted in displeasure even though he couldn't deny it outright. There was a lot to unravel beneath that mask and he doubted there would be a chance to explain it all. It probably wouldn't do him any good to point out that the very man he was speaking to was the chief cause of his lack of concern, something about Minato, his former sensei, being dead without surviving family.

"That's not fair, Hokage-sama. You know why I had very little reason to show interest in the boy."

Hiruzen nodded sagely. "And were that to change, the image of you in the company of two separate blonds of unique coloring would have been more than enough to draw unwanted attention to him risking his life further."

Kakashi grunted once more but this time in displeasure.

"It matters not, Kakashi-kun. We still have a job to do... and you have another meeting to get to, don't you?"

With a frustrated huff, the shinobi slapped his calloused hands to his knees and pushed off as he rose from his uncomfortable chair. "The counter seal is slipping again. It's getting harder and harder to feed the old bastard misleading information and this is a very dangerous game to be playing with young people as bait."

Hiruzen merely nodded once not being a stranger to his elite Jounin's concerns. "Once you discover his final move, we'll finish it."

Without a sound or hand seal, his body was engulfed in smoke and the dragon-faced ANBU emerged from the other side of the cloud with a short bow to his superior. Kakashi's voice completely changed to a higher pitch with a more slurred drawl as he wrapped up the final details.

"Hai, 'okage-sama. It will be done."

Without waiting for a dismissal, the now lankier and shorter form in nondescript grey robes body flickered away and Sarutobi turned to gaze out the reinforced glass of his office at the stoic stone faces looking out over Konoha. They were all sacrificing something to make this work, including their relationships with loved ones. As much as he wanted to end the undercover operation and salvage what he could with his adopted grandson, Konoha's safety had to come first.

As it currently stood, the young Uchiha was going to need a great deal of counseling to help undo the damage of his newly-acquired Sharingan when this was all over. Hiruzen only hoped they could turn him around in time.

Oh, the sacrifices made in the life of a shinobi and the village in which they live.

~III~

* * *

"Make me yours, Taichou."

Naruto blinked in surprise, his eyelashes tickling the soft skin of her cleavage.

One of her hands fisted the back of his head, her own tilting to the side and away, as she shifted her upper body to the side firmly pressed his lips to her left shoulder.

"Please."

Her voice was throaty even as a pair of sand-colored ears sprouted from the side of her head, her dark pupils elongating into slits as three silky tails fanned out behind her hourglass-shaped figure. On instinct, Naruto's mouth opened and his teeth clamped down, his canines sinking into her shoulder just enough for the tips to penetrate her flawless skin and he immediately had an odd sensation, almost like a tingly letting down of something through his canines into the meat of her shoulder.

Samui's body clenched once, then twice, her muscles locking and her abdomen constricting. Her entire body clenched and spasmed for several minutes before her lungs unlocked and her breath started coming in rapid gasping breaths. The biological reaction to his _Reika_-infused bite brought on her orgasm like a landslide, her pleas melting into incoherent moans and panting, her arms clutching at his back as her legs spasmed desperately in her continued release.

As her convulsions began to subside, Naruto realized his teeth were still clamped onto her, locking her shoulder painfully into his bite so he eased his canines from her flesh, the blood from the puncture marks trickling down her chest and onto his towel. Even with all of the soap suds, he could tell that her scent had changed subtly. She often smelled like a newly finished desert rainstorm, clean and fresh. Now there was something musky mixed in with it, something faint that he couldn't place his finger on, but it was there and she now smelled like the wooded forest of Konoha after a rain shower.

Gently, he used the showerhead to rinse the blood from their bodies, which she accepted with brief sucking of air through her teeth, heavy breathing and her periodically spasming thigh muscles, politely refusing his offer to heal the wound. She said that she wanted to keep the bite marks as it visibly marked her as "his" mate and that this would prove without question that she belonged to a house. It wouldn't prevent a determined Kitsune she could not overpower from doing what Gato did, but it did provide recourse before the Thirteen Tribes if they needed to petition for satisfaction.

Deep inside her sealed prison, Kyuubi giggled at the still uninformed vixen's forward-thinking.

Naruto knew of the thirteen Kitsune Tribes and the Tribunal that could be called should someone's mate be violated by another (usually male) Kitsune. His mind automatically went to the Twins below that had yet to be so marked never once thinking that other Kitsune could be spies in his village. It made perfect sense now though since Samui had been an active spy in Kumo for almost a decade.

"Is the process for marking the same regardless of who it is?"

Samui, still gasping with her head resting on his shoulder, nodded weakly. Her energy may have disappeared, but her pale yellow-and-white tails waved contently behind her, sometimes intertwining with his. Her muscles continued to twitch and spasm and she was beginning to understand why vixen sought another male to bond with if their original mate passed on to the shadow realm.

"It's the transfer from your sebaceous glands linked through your canines, a subtle difference from Kitsune and normal foxes and only in the males of our species." She lifted the index finger of her left hand, gently prodding open his lips and tracing a fingertip along the gentle slope of one of his canines.

"This is what it means to properly mark a vixen as your mate. This should also keep the other Kitsune from sniffing around me or your twin bodyguards."

She sat up to stare him in the eyes and smiled – she found his deep blues very attractive, especially with their golden slits for pupils. He was unique in soo many ways.

"I won't force this," she looked down for the briefest of moments and traced a finger along his lower abs making his muscles constrict and her body jiggle as he reflexively heaved, "… the issue again but, if I'm going to live in Konoha, know that other Kitsune males could be here, and I'd rather not get taken by force again. Kitsune or human it doesn't matter. I will give myself freely to you when you're ready, or no one else."

She took a deep breath, the recent pain at Gato's hands still in the back of her mind, but she felt like she had some control again, some measure of influence over her own life.

"You should stop delaying and mark your other vixens," she muttered almost drowsily.

He looked at her with concern.

"You've said nothing about them being here with me or the fact that two human females seem intent on marrying me as well."

She shrugged, her heavy breasts rubbing nicely along his chest and stomach.

"I can't speak to your customs here and it wouldn't matter to me as, once again, I get to be a Kitsune first and a shinobi second. They seem happy and that's cool. They don't seem to be abused and appear willing to share you, something unusual for Kitsune vixen but not unheard of." Her tiny smile hid the bitter fact that Kitsune skulks were more common in her almost extinct desert clan.

"These are all good things, but I am linked to you through blood now, so it doesn't matter to me. Besides, that Ino person seems to have accepted me after Hinata told her what happened back in Wave." Samui's growing smile was a small upturn of one side of her mouth but it seemed sincere.

"I don't think she'd let me leave now if I wanted to, so you're stuck with me." She squeezed his sides once with her thighs more before standing, his face disappearing briefly in her chest.

Naruto's response was one word. "Cool."

"Cool," retorted the busty blonde, her smile turning into a chuckling laugh that sounded mellow and sultry at the same time.

Naruto stood, cupped her cheeks (the ones on her face you pervs), and kissed her without warning. Her eyes shot open and she tensed taking several minutes of soft ministrations for her to relax and follow along.

What began as hesitant and unsure gradually built into a passionate embrace. As Naruto worried at her lips with his own, he began to draw out from the taciturn kunoichi the loneliness and rigid isolation she felt in Cloud and broke apart her locked in feelings of frustration and disgust at her objectification in the eyes of men that didn't deserve her love or want commitment past "that first night." Her being tied to the Raikage kept many away but did nothing to disguise their thinly-veiled lust or foul suggestions.

She felt none of that from this Kitsune, what should by all rights be a child unknown to the ways of women or romance. He was filled with warmth. He was passionate. He was tenderness, and she had for so long craved such tenderness. His kiss was patient, gentle, not the fevered desire to shred her clothes and ravage her body. She felt the heart beating beneath the kiss and it pulled her in.

~III~

* * *

It was early afternoon by the time the final civilian squeezed into the heavily reinforced conference room squirreled away on the upper level of an unnamed warehouse. Many in attendance grumbled over Danzo's overdeveloped sense of paranoia and often did so loudly but they couldn't deny his effectiveness as these types of meetings were going into their twenty-third year without being exposed by the overbearing Hokage. In a village where such clandestine meetings could and would cost them their heads on the headman's block, what was a little paranoia?

Speaking of a little paranoia, the single beady eye of one Shimura Danzo narrowed briefly as he identified his final attendee, his head nodding briefly to his ROOT tools guarding the non-shinobi entrance as it closed without a sound. With the signal given, Homura stood to begin the proceedings.

"All give heed." Once silence reigned, he turned his wrinkled brow to his first source. "Councilman Ogawa, what is the status of renovations to the Uchiha Compound?"

The so-named member of the Uchiha Restoration Movement responsible for the vast majority of construction work in Konoha rose to his feet, his thin shoulders stooped as he read from a single sheet holding several hastily scrawled lines of kanji. "Proceeding according to plan, however, I'd like to reiterate my objections to stringing out-"

"Your objections are once again noted, Ogawa-san." Homura's normally pinched face narrowed even more at the scrappy civilian's recurring complaints about trying to hide the ongoing string of sparse D-ranked missions, no more than four a year, spread out so as to hide them from the Hokage's scrutiny. Ogawa-san was of a firm mind that Konoha's rapid rise to supreme dominance lay in the path of a vibrant Uchiha Clan and, as there was no shame in supporting such a noble clan, there should be no shame in openly working to prepare for their return to power. He hated hiding and skulking about and complained about it with every opportunity.

It was becoming an old subject.

Ogawa-san scowled but took his seat following the rude dismissal of his prepared speech. Unfortunately, he would not be the only one summarily dismissed before Danzo took over the proceedings in his typically terse fashion as it happened to the remaining eight members directly supporting the esteemed Elders. The group of nine had been working diligently over the past several decades and were growing impatient as their perceived success gradually grew closer and closer with the surviving heir's public maturation.

Their goals weren't in complete alignment with Danzo's but they didn't necessarily know that fact either.

"Young Sasuke has returned from their extended A-Rank." He pointedly ignored the subsequent gasps of surprise and sycophantic pandering from over half of the attending civilians. As far as he was concerned, young Sasuke was a means to an end and no more.

"Control yourselves."

He intentionally waited for them to silence themselves before continuing; Danzo hated raising his voice any higher than he needed to.

"While his success is indeed a good thing for our purposes, he was not the primary cause for the mission's success." More mindless sounds from the peanut gallery but he pushed on.

"It would seem we will need to redouble our efforts to hinder the weapon." It was enough as he observed their very unhappy faces settle down. They'd all make good tools to further his plans.

"Of better import is the fact that young Sasuke has finally unlocked his Sharingan, which does bode well." Here Danzo paused as another Councilor rose hoping to be acknowledged.

"Yes, Councilman Sakamoto?"

"If he has just returned, how do we know this information - as important as the discovery could be - is in fact accurate?"

Most people mistook the head of the Agricultural Guild to be a bit dim-witted given his slow and methodical method of speaking but Danzo knew better. Farming was not for the weak of mind or faint of heart.

_'Hnh, a valid question for once.'_ "How indeed?" He turned his bandaged head to his left side before speaking again. "Care to enlighten us?"

He needn't identify the person he was asking to speak as every civilian in the room gasped in recognition of the one-eyed Jounin stepping out from the shadows as if appearing from thin air.

"Sasuke did in fact activate his Sharingan as a result of a pitched battle with the former Kiri nin, Zabuza Momochi." The taller figure's body shivered violently for a second, his face contorting in near-pain before settling once again.

"It was a close thing, however. I was forced to allow Zabuza to capture me in a water prison Jutsu forcing Sasuke to engage the man's water clones directly." The Jounin ignored the indignant complaints from the suddenly worried civilian mob. "In the end, we were able to defeat the Swordsman and begin developing Sasuke's doujutsu."

The lanky Jounin seemed to shake once more before settling, almost as if he was in pain.

"And what of the eye's compulsion?" Danzo prodded.

This time the violent shuddering was visible enough to make the civilians in the room flinch. "Ngh... T-There are signs... that the 'God Complex' is taking hold in his psyche." Kakashi's body visibly relaxed once more. "His ongoing fixation on the captured Kunoichi is indication enough."

Kakashi cursed internally as he'd meant to withhold that bit of information.

Danzo had to brutally force down the urge to raise a hand to his covered right eye. Those... _urges_... were a constant affair and he only had a single eye connected to his optic nerves. The strain placed on the psyche by a pair must be enormous. Still, he brushed it aside as something that could be overcome once he had the Uchiha brat firmly in his training program.

"Were you able to compel her away from the weapon?"

"No," he shuddered violently as the seal beneath his hitai-ate pulsed enough for Danzo to sense the release from his seat, "but her resistance makes it easier for the compulsion to drive his behavior so I transitioned from active acquisition to making the situation worse." Mind control seal or no, Kakashi's lackadaisical shrug still oozed laziness and non-concern, which annoyed Danzo slightly. No matter. If they couldn't steal away the captured kunoichi, he'd have to make do with Councilwoman Haruno's daughter, as she seemed less resistant to her influencing seal.

The miserly ROOT leader had to hand it to Koharu. Her idea to buy out several of the local beauty salons was a fairly ingenious way to sway the real village power base to support him. _ 'Oh, the surprising use of the vain kunoichi.'_

"It seemed the lesser of two almost equally less-than-desirable actions," the Scarecrow groused.

Danzo nodded in agreement before dismissing his unwilling informant and the questions began to fly the moment Kakashi vanished back into the shadows that spawned him. The taciturn Elder, Shinobi of Darkness, ignored their queries.

_'It appears I will need to reinforce the seal again.' _ Danzo noted that the deadly shinobi was building up an undesirable tolerance to his [**_Slave Seal_**], one that would inevitably lead to his elimination.

He only hoped it would hold long enough to gain control of both the Uchiha and his weapon as that would lead to his undeniable victory over these worthless Ningen. Hatake Kakashi was a very valuable pawn even if he was an unwilling one.

"Any other questions?" Danzo's visible eye narrowed dangerously making several throats convulse as their owners swallowed reflexively.

"I did not think so. Do not fail in your assigned tasks."

Every civilian in the room recognized the dismissal for what it was.

~III~

* * *

_In the Namikaze Estate..._

When the two finally came downstairs it was to the knowing smiles of both Hinata and Ino. The twins were walking around in their human forms minus the Kitsune additions and their eyes both shown with hope after seeing the new Kitsune female. Apparently, her inclusion into the clan stemmed solely from Naruto's acceptance. Once done, the Twins pressed in on her, one in front and other against her back, as they leaned their faces in to sniff her shoulder.

It was purely ceremonial and Samui tensed, standing very still, until the two stood and took turns kissing her cheeks, a peck for each side. With a final hug for each twin, they parted company and the Twins approached Naruto with very silent and VERY expectant looks. He nodded and hugged them both whispering, "Tonight when we bathe. Promise."

Tamami almost broke down in tears. With Tatsua's recent experiences in Wave, she had held out hope the longest and her shuddering tears of anticipation were almost a release.

When Naruto broke the embrace, he was hit by a very daunting realization and he paled.

"Samui-chan, am I expected to… mark my servants in the same way? They're all Kitsune like you three." He seemed very green all of a sudden remembering the... _urges_ that kept welling up with Samui pressed firmly against his chest.

Samui nodded, "Yeah, unless you want them raped by horny male Kitsune spies, or in rare cases human degenerates, in the village. Unmarked vixens produce a pheromonal scent that can lure humans to them when they are in season, which is why humans steal and sell them as slaves."

Hinata and Ino looked terrified, their eyes taking in the servants currently in the house, all of them their faces blushing and slowly lowering to the floor.

"I'm confused," Ino began drawing faces in her direction. "How does marking a servant with some seal prevent them from being attacked?"

"It doesn't," Tatsua answered bluntly. "First off, it's a chemical mark as a Kitsune's sense of smell is a better way to warn off male predators of our species but it's not a barrier."

"Then what good is it?" Ino's dislike of a secret was beginning to wear on her patience.

Samui's calm, "It serves as proof before the Tribunal when justice is needed," drove the hidden message in though.

"You are our Taichou and, while to us you are first among Kitsune, we must still follow tribal customs and we," Tatsua paused to indicate every female Kitsune in sight, "…are your tribe, the one special exception to the Rule of Thirteen. We are the Fourteenth tribe and, with you as our clan head, your responsibility."

Samui's left eyebrow rose into the air as she blinked in surprise at the shorter male chewing on his lower lip. She couldn't possibly mean..._could she?_

It was a lot to lay on someone about to turn thirteen himself in a few months, but Naruto bore it well, as well as could be expected anyway for a twelve-almost-thirteen-year-old boy just turned old enough to kill for his village.

"Will I have to… do… the marking the… same way… with _everyone_?" The emphatic way the Twins and Samui were shaking their heads no made him very happy and considerably less green.

"No, they need to be marked but it need not take any of the… extra steps of my marking." Every female in the room noticed the pinking of the Kumo kunoichi's cheeks.

Hinata and Ino (incorrectly) suspected that they knew what extra steps were not required but chose to remain quiet. Their kunoichi classes on seduction spoke in great detail about the differences between men and women, mainly those chemical and biological differences that made seduction work in their favor. While they didn't want ala carte access to Naruto as their future spouse, they realized they weren't doing him any favors with the agreement to wait until all three were of marrying age before engaging in more adult activities, not with a house full of willing women that didn't share the restrictions of human morals and mating rituals. Being in a house surrounded by nothing but gorgeous adult women, and all of the Kitsune they had met were walking eye candy, with a raging libido was a recipe for disaster and mistrust. Having select Kitsune close to him and able to satisfy those urges would go a long way to containing what could be a tragic situation.

"It _is_ something you should do without delay," Samui pressed.

Naruto turned to see the six Kitsune assigned to the house slowly crowding around him, their shy demeanor conflicting with their unhesitant baring of shoulders. There was no shame, no turning away with rosy cheeks. Their shoulders were bared, the lips were parted slightly, and their eyes were partially lidded in wanting.

Ino rose to question what was about to happen, obviously shocked at the cult-like behavior when the Twins went over to both her and Hinata and began to explain Kitsune physiology, the effect of male pheromones on female Kitsune, and the bonding-slash-mating habits of Kitsune society. It was informative, to say the least, and left a very worried Ino with mental pictures of Naruto in bed surrounded by writhing piles of flesh and tails.

Hinata nearly passed out when Ino described her concerns, blood flowing from both nostrils.

Naruto set himself to nipping his staff, finding the act very intimate and, on many levels arousing. VERY arousing. Something about it caused a surge of hormones in the women baring their shoulders, a subliminal underwriting of their cultural DNA that bonded them to their marker, making them antagonistic to other males, and effectively meaning they'd bear no other Kitsune advances so long as he lived, and they remained under his mark. Naruto saw this as horribly unfair to the women he had no intentions of ever laying with yet understood, through the on-going education from his Kitsune companions, that this was part of his obligation in keeping his growing tribe safe and happy, such as they could be.

It was worse when he discovered its effect on his own level of hormones.

By the time he'd marked the last servant, the first victim had already retrieved the field hands. This meant that he had another six waiting with shoulders bared.

Steeling himself, the new clan head stepped forward to repeat his duty, trying his best to ignore the repeated "hisses-turned-to-throaty-moans" as he went from shoulder to shoulder to offered breast, um, no, up to the shoulder. Some of them nipped at his neck and clawed at his back, legs stroking his hip as they panted and ground against him. To say that it wasn't affecting the human women observing would have been an outright lie. Ino was clutching at her own body as the air filled with panting and heavy musk. Tatsua had to go elaborate that, however unlikely at this time of year, a few of them may be in the final throes of heat. It was either that or they were just really horny.

Hinata actually fainted and Ino flushed, her thighs rubbing painfully together.

It really sucked that each marking was accompanied by the female's body clenching as the chemical infusion made her orgasm, her body going weak in the knees forcing Naruto to catch them, thereby pressing their convulsing bodies against his own, until they could stand again. The entire time his enhanced Kitsune sense of smell noted what was going on forcing his body to respond biologically and driving him into a type of mating frenzy. The Twins had to open the shoji leading out to the veranda as the whole room reeked of sex despite there being no physical engagement in the act.

Once complete, Naruto was a hormonal wreck and Samui knew it.

Marking was an intimate thing and he would need a release after so much at one time. She looked to the Twins who had the same knowing expression. Hinata and Ino could see the tension in him and felt physical pain knowing they could not yet give him the relief he needed. As Naruto stood there with his chest heaving, the last of his servants curtsying before wobbly making her way off to whatever obligations she needed to attend to while trying to desperately reign in his hormones, the Twins found themselves being urged forward by the only humans in the home.

"Go to him." This from Ino, the one that had been the most vocal against sharing the blond clan head.

"Do for him what we cannot," Hinata chimed in.

Tatsua looked at Hinata with gratitude. Together they both approached the struggling shinobi, gently touching his face and shoulders until his lidded eyes focused just enough to recognize them. With sniffs along his neck and shoulders, they gradually coaxed the dazed Kitsune male upstairs where Tamami locked them into the master chamber and activated multiple privacy seals.

And deep inside her seal, Kyuubi's victorious smirk blossomed.

~III~

* * *

As soon as Naruto disappeared up the stairs, Hinata turned to Ino. "I need to go home and bathe, then perhaps let my father know that I'm not dead." She laughed weakly at the joke. "He may even wish to know how our mission went."

Hinata took a deep breath. "In case he comes down before I return, let him know that I'll come back to take him to our noon meeting with Kurenai. Eventually, I will hear how his secret mission went."

Ino nodded then dragged Samui over to the sunken couches in the living room so they could continue getting acquainted. She _wanted_ to know about Cloud and she _needed_ to take her mind off what was happening upstairs.

* * *

*** Warning: Lime Follows ***

(This is your opportunity to skip ahead to the next bolded section)

Once Tatsua had laid out several towels along the floor, they both undressed while Naruto watched from his haze of arousal. He was operating barely above animalistic urges.

The next half hour became a blur of motion, emotion, and scorching hot flesh.

Having been stripped down for the second time in the last few hours, Naruto found himself soon locked into Tatsua's embrace, his canines sinking into her left shoulder as their bodies clenched in release and his hips convulsively drove into her. Tatsua had gone first knowing how things would progress after that display below. With the softer Tamami not having had a release from long exposure to his pheromones, it was better that she go first and try to take some of the "edge" off. By the time the two had finished spasming, he was rigid again and pulsing eagerly for more.

Once his teeth disengaged, Tatsua gently pushed his head to the side so that he could see her sister and, hormonal Kitsune rage or not, his breath caught in his throat.

She was kneeling on the white towels laid out for them, her arms outstretched with palms down and her long hair fanned out to cover her face. Without her arms to support her waist, her chest rested firmly on her thighs flattening her full breasts and making them seem larger than they were, which was already considerable. Her waist narrowed only to flare out into extremely curvy, full-bodied hips, her tails laid out far to either side of her body.

Naruto rose from Tatsua's chest, his lower body disengaging with a slurping suction from her sex, his throat forming a growl that seemed inhuman… but not demonic. Sighing in contentment, her body still convulsing from her marking enhanced orgasm, Tatsua rolled onto her side to watch her sister's heated gasping for air.

On all fours he moved to Tamami as buried instinct took over, his nose stopping at her neck to nuzzle her. Tamami's whimper came out as a throaty plea at the light contact as she sought to nuzzle him in passing. He ran his nose from her neck along her spine, the sensation making Tamami's body shiver with delight.

Tatsua rolled onto her stomach and spun to face her sister head-on. Meeting Tamami's fevered gaze, she placed her palms over the other girl's hands and gripped them tight. The simple gesture seemed to calm her as Naruto moved to mount her. She didn't know why Tamami insisted on her first mating being done in the traditional Kitsune fashion, but she'd help her see this through.

As his nose reached her hips, Naruto pivoted around so that his chest rested on them, the warmth and proximity of his body making Tamami shudder in anticipation. Her tails twitched as he kissed first her lower back, then back up to her shoulder blades. One of her tails twitched again, her legs shuffled outwards opening her hips up to him, her body rising up onto her arms to support her upper half. As her lust began to build, Tamami's eyes locked onto her sisters and Tatsua smiled warmly, her happiness bringing tears to her eyes as her twin's long torment drew to an end.

In an abstract fashion, Tamami noticed her tails wrapping around Naruto's waist, her ankles locking behind his calves, as his tip slid between the lips of her drenched sex. As her mouth opened in a shuddering sigh, Naruto, still deep in his bonding-induced haze, thrust once driving to the hilt inside her canal. She yelped as pain shot through her core, their mingling running down her thighs in a bright, thin stream of red.

Her short cry gave him enough control to pause, his entire body waiting until her panting ebbed and she'd stopped hissing through clenched teeth. It took longer than with Tatsua, but she eventually looked over her shoulder, bucked her hips once, and squeezed him with her tails, a clear indication that she was ready. Her walls had been contracting and releasing on his shaft and the sensations were making her very excited as the pain dulled to pleasure. Once he began his rhythmic thrusting, things got very heated.

An hour and one passionate marking later, Tamami lay on her back, eyes shut, mouth open, and every appendage (all six) locked around Naruto. The three finished with a major case of fatigue and heavy gasping for air.

It was a good thing his vixens were not in heat or he might not survive many days like this.

Naruto broke away with a wet sound from between her thighs, thoroughly spent.

*** Lime Ends ***

* * *

After a _second_ scrub and longer soak, where Naruto leaned back in the large onsen against Tatsua and held Tamami's back to his chest while he stroked her hair, he left the naked twins asleep on his bed and trudged downstairs to a smirking Ino.

Samui was apparently impressed that he was still awake and semi-functional.

"Feel better, Naruto?" Ino happily chirped.

In response to Ino's smirk, the sluggish blond wrapped his arms around her waist and nibbled at the nape of her neck, her eyes rolling up into her skull and her face flushing two shades darker. It was a brazen act for the naturally gun-shy boy and it electrified every cell in her body.

"Gah!... Hinata… _mmmm_… coming back!... _Aaaaaaaaaah!_... shower first!"

Naruto chuckled at her twitching leg and let Ino go.

Samui seemed almost… pleased that Ino had to take a full minute to cool down, her hands fanning her neck and cheeks. She LIKED this bolder version of Naruto.

Just then his stomach growled loud enough to make Mio-chan stick her head out of the kitchen and frown. She forcefully pointed to the table (meaning 'march over there and sit') before vanishing behind the adjoining door.

He by now knew better than to argue with the tiny kitchen matron.

"We need to make some decisions before you run off to meet your sensei," Samui offered up before he could become too distracted by food.

"Decisions about what?"

One of the Kitsune servants he vaguely remembered from earlier rose from a couch in the sitting room. Her long brown hair and silver-rimmed glasses struck a memory in the back of his mind and, when her face registered in his photographic memory, his reaction was not a welcoming one. Unfortunately, he'd just marked her as one of his own so here they sat at a crossroad.

She bowed and a strawberry blonde woman next to her did the same.

"I see that you recognize me, Taichou." She straightened her spine and tried not to flush with shame.

"You were part of the team that argued against the Hokage on behalf of my enemies." His voice was low and extremely cold.

The mousy Kitsune seemed to shrink in on herself.

"It was necessary to keep my cover for my tribe, Taichou. Now, you and the Namikaze are my tribe. As a trust law attorney supporting the clans, I did not know that you were the opposing party nor that Kyuubi would later choose me to join your clan. Once this was known, I removed myself from their service and approached Tamami-chan to offer my additional skills to your house." She bowed low to the floor, her forehead touching the back of her palms.

"I offer all that I am to your service, Taichou. I shall be your tireless servant and the laws of this land will be your weapon."

Samui stepped forward and rested a palm on his shoulder. "She is a trustee lawyer, that means she is skilled in areas of managing large clans, including the laws that let you marry three women at once. Her help would be invaluable."

Naruto realized her worth, but his eyes never strayed from the gauze taped to her shoulder. He knew she would give her life if he asked it, but the loss to those bastards still stung even if she wasn't the lawyer arguing to the council directly. No, he remembered the face of _that_ person all too well.

"There is some business left undone there, none of it necessarily in accordance with village laws. You may want to reconsider this before pledging yourself to my affairs." He was giving her a way out, a chance not to lose honor but the Kitsune lawyer never batted an eye.

"The Taichou is the foundation of our strength, the pillar of justice in the violent tempest of the human world. I will not falter. I, Yukiamagaren Harikēn, shall not fail you."

His ears listened to the thumping of her panicked heart for several more minutes, his heart battling with his mind over which way to go. It was a short battle after weighing the pros and cons of having his own lawyer.

"Then rise and serve me, Harikēn-chan." He paused until she could look him in the eye again. "Do not fail our clan."

She promptly smiled as if he'd given her a new kitten... to eat. What? Foxes considered cats a delicacy.

"Then we should start with your clan's affairs." She offered him a portfolio and motioned to the single chair next to the couch, much to Mio-chan's clear disapproval.

Mio-chan, an Ocean Kitsune with pale blue hair and sea-green eyes, entered immediately noting his failure to comply with her earlier direction. Huffing with disdain she darted back to her chosen field of battle once again emerging carrying a tray with tea and cakes for seven, shrugged when she didn't see the Twins, then went back after depositing the snack to bring the Taichou's lunch.

"We need to officially appoint me as your clan lawyer." She handed him a sheet to sign, the redhead next to her unsealing a jar of ink and providing a quill.

"Decisions remain your purview, but my job will be to provide advice and to fight our battles before the tribunal."

He nodded for her to continue as she slid another sheet in front of him.

"This one appoints Kasumi," the redhead bowed until her modest chest flattened on her thighs, "as your accountant. We will need to establish an account for house finances that she can have limited access to. You will have to approve large purchases and sales, however, she will have sufficient access to provide for day-to-day expenses in support of the clan."

Naruto, from his seat directly across from them, seemed perplexed.

"Why not give her access to my personal bank account or to the Arashi company account in my family's name?"

Both women seemed alarmed if their hands frantically waving in front of their chests were any indication.

"While we appreciate your trust, it is better to control access and limit temptation. If either of us is ever… compromised by mind control or blackmail, limiting our access to money prevents enormous harm to the clan. Your mark provides some defense, but a strong opponent can overcome the bond's protection."

He nodded again in understanding.

"We will meet as often as you like, Taichou, however, I recommend weekly until things settle down and we all become more familiar with each other and what is the normal routine."

"Fine. Do you both have somewhere to stay?"

They both nodded but Harikēn spoke. "We have quarters in the servant's domicile with the others."

Naruto shook his head in response.

"Your roles are important to the day-to-day functioning of this family. I will need you both to take up rooms here in the main house." Their eyebrows shot up to their hairlines. "If I need to get hold of either of you, it's more convenient if you're nearby. The closer the better."

Ino and Samui both nodded, Samui sauntering behind his chair and leaning heavily on his shoulders with Ino plopping down into his lap sideways. His new assistants blushed and bowed in gratitude.

"We will share a room next to Samui-sama. We do not need so much space."

He looked at Kasumi. "What _are_ our monthly obligations, Kasumi-chan?" With the arrival of servants to help him, Naruto honestly had no idea what it cost to care for him and his... growing clan?

She flushed red again, a strange reaction given their intimacy earlier when he marked her, and quickly slipped a specific tally sheet in front of him. He remembered, with an odd smile, her as the one that bared her left breast to be marked and smiled.

"Our current expenses are minimal, enough that our harvest of crops and animals you purchased earlier in the year will see us through winter easily. Emiko-chan, she maintains our herds with two helpers, one for the cattle and one for the sheep, estimates we will need another twenty head of cattle before we become truly self-sufficient with our new staffing levels. The bee colonies should also begin honey production next year."

She indicated the bottom lines with one painted nail stating confidently, "One thousand a month is enough to meet our daily needs until our house numbers increase another thirty percent."

Naruto nodded again noting that bank interest alone from the seal company accounts made twenty times that each month. Now that he'd introduced the house cleaning and maintenance lines to their production, he expected they could live like Royalty anywhere they chose.

He would introduce her to the old bastard running the seals office, so they could get the numbers included in Kasumi's budget. While the interest from their bank accounts was nearly half the Arashi income, it was reliant on interest rates which often can and did fluctuate.

"Set up an account for Kasumi-chan with ten-thousand Ryu initially, then draw up the papers allowing a recurring fifteen hundred transferred monthly from the Arashi account and I will sign those. I want the extra allocated for special events like feasts and celebrations. Be sure to maintain an emergency fund to ten percent." He handed the paper back to its owner.

"I will allocate more as you require."

"Hai, Taichou, and the extra nine-thousand?" She blinked as he waved it away.

"We will need upfront purchases with our new members. Samui-chan especially needs clothes and other personal items and you will need to arrange for Emiko-chan to purchase additional livestock."

Kasumi-bowed and filed her papers away.

"Also, Harikēn-chan you will want to introduce yourselves to the proprietor of the Arashi Seal Consortium. He runs the shop with his two daughters and there is little oversight into their actions. I want them folded in as soon as possible."

Both women nodded. "And what will we do with Samui-sama?" That particular question caught everyone by flat-footed.

"I don't see what you mean. She will become a Konoha nin and stay here with us when not on missions." Naruto's answer was matter-of-fact, Ino and Samui nodding in silent agreement.

"And is she ready to conduct missions against her former village? Against people that were once her friends or family?"

Now they could clearly see the point of Harikēn's line of questioning. She may have sworn allegiance to Naruto and his clan but being willing to spy on former family and friends inherently put them at risk and was considered the worst form of betrayal. Samui may be on the outs with her Kage, but to turn against her Cloud loved ones? That was a different matter entirely, but Harikēn wasn't finished.

"Even though she may pass her upcoming interrogation with flying colors, you can believe that one of her earliest missions will put her new Konoha loyalty to the test. What better deep cover agent than a ninja from the village in question? If she succeeds, Konoha gains valuable intel. And if she is found out and executed, Konoha suffers no loss. It's a rare situation with no downsides for Konohagakure."

Naruto had to admit that her points were valid. No, they were more than valid. "How do we avoid this, Harikēn-chan?" Samui tried to forestall the discussion.

"Naruto-kun, I have no issues with doing my duty for Konoha so long as I can stay with-," she paused before continuing, "as long as I can stay a member of your clan."

"I appreciate that Samui-chan, but I'll not put you at that crossroad if I can help it. Just like I'll not let them use you as fodder for a deep-cover mission that risks your… health."

He was trying very hard not to blush because he knew how other men ogled her, how they shamelessly stared and leered. New to physical love that he was, it didn't take much to figure out where those missions would end up.

"I will not let them just throw you away as Kumo did."

His voice was a low growl that made her stomach flutter. Samui suddenly felt giddy and lightheaded.

"Taichou, are you aware that clan matriarchs are not required to accept missions?" Harikēn's face seemed calculating.

Ino, Samui, and Naruto all blinked like people who'd spent a week locked in a dark room before someone else opened the door and flicked on a light switch. Ino was the first, however, to recover.

"I'm okay with that option if it comes to that, especially considering I can't marry you until I'm sixteen, but this conversation should include Hinata."

Naruto nodded his agreement, effectively tabling the discussion as Harikēn shifted focus back to business.

"We will need the money to start the clan account, Taichou, and I believe that provides us all we need for now."

Naruto unsealed one of the large chests from Gato's home, Ino going bug-eyed at the sight of all that cash, then rifled off the Ryu so they could get started right away. He tossed in the envelope the Hokage had given him earlier then closed and resealed the chest. Once the pair had dismissed themselves, Ino locked her arms around Naruto's neck and proceed to explore his mouth with her own. It was good to have him back and she intended to enjoy it while she could.

Samui meandered over to the newly vacated couch and leaned back with a sigh. _'Would being married to him be all that terrible?'_

One look at the boy in question that stood eye-level with her throat and she blushed remembering what happened upstairs not less than a few hours ago. He clearly had a lot to learn about Kitsune (specifically) and women (in general) but he wasn't a bad person and right now he had gone out on a limb for her with nothing more than a free peek at her body and a verbal promise of loyalty. What's more, he'd sworn to take care of her even before things had gone that far. He had a good heart that was rare in shinobi and even rarer in the males of her kind. He was also very good with his hands from what she could see… bonus.

Time would tell.

Ino, still engrossed in exploring her boyfriend's mouth with her own, pouted as Mio-chan stood a few feet away holding a tray of steaming roast beef, vegetables fresh from the clan gardens, steaming rice balls, and hot tea. She was trying to be patient, but Naruto could see her growing concern at his very agitated stomach. The smaller woman's concern was making her whimper cutely.

Ino relented and climbed off his lap.

Mio's smile as she set the tray on the coffee table was blinding. Naruto thanked her with a hug, which made her _'eep'_ in response and sat back down to dig in.

Poor Mio-chan quietly stumbled away in a daze with a hand to her blushing cheek.

Samui merely shook her head at the effect he didn't even know he had on his Kitsune women. It would be a terrible shame to see him change over time into a cold-hearted assassin or worse a Kitsune Warlord.

~III~

Before long, Hinata returned in fresh clothes, her face grim. She brushed off questions saying that they didn't have time, but Naruto knew something was wrong. He kept glancing at her all the way to the meeting spot with Kurenai but didn't force the issue. Hopefully, she would open up in time.

Kurenai apologized for calling them together on their downtime but she needed their answers to an important question. Holding out three sheets of paper, she explained that the Chunin Exams were approaching and they needed to decide by the end of the week if they were to take the exam. If they felt they were ready, then she would support them.

To stir the pot, she did mention that Kakashi was planning to enter Team Seven.

The three of them filled out and signed those papers on the spot. Kurenai smiled and leaped off wishing them a good night and reminded Naruto he needed a standard psyche evaluation before he could return to duty. Shino wandered off soon after. With that grim expression still on Hinata's face, Naruto doubted what she had to share would be any kind of good.

It took a lot of cuddling and petting back home to coax out what was bothering Hinata. Her resistance finally broke when he started massaging her breasts and gently tweaking her nipples over her clothes (she didn't feel comfortable going much farther than that).

Apparently, her father considered her courtship to Naruto an engagement. This meant her change to the Namikaze clan was all but certain. Though legally she was still the heir and could not be placed in the branch family until she officially married outside of the clan or publicly renounced her claim, the elders were making plans to brand her with the Caged Bird Seal on the day of her marriage. What was worse, her father outwardly supported the idea.

Naruto guffawed so loudly several servants popped their heads around the corner.

"Let them try." He looked deep into her eyes. "The day we wed, you become Namikaze Hinata and are no longer subject to his rules. If they want to try and take you from me, he is welcome to try."

Naruto's eyes flashed red for a second, then eased back to their normal shade of blue. Hinata felt so at ease with his confidence that her face lit up right before she flushed red and locked lips with him. To ease the other two, who both frowned at Hinata's sudden attack, he popped two clones who promptly huggled and snuggled them both.

Furious kissing and fondling ensued for the next half hour.

Samui and Ino both marveled at how real the clones felt… and tasted. They couldn't tell the difference between the clones and the original. This prompted many questions needing further experimentation…

Naruto also decided his next question to Ienaga for later that night when they were discussing seals would address clan laws. He would learn how to break that damn caged bird seal if it was the last thing he did.

The conversation concerning Samui becoming the matriarch wasn't an issue for Hinata. She was older, outranked them both as a kunoichi (in Cloud anyway), and it would be needed to avoid unpleasantness in her village. Hinata saw no wrong in it as she was as fond of the quiet blonde as Ino was, if not more so.

Naruto caught her up on the remaining employment changes in the household then the discussion for the rest of the night centered on the upcoming exams and whether or not they should give it a shot.

~III~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes - To Be or Not to Be More Adult-Like**

Samui's scene is considerably less racy than the original. I also debated with myself extensively as to whether or not the bonding scene with the Twins should stay in this new story release. Chronologically Naruto, at this point, is almost 13 years old - he is very clearly a minor making the very intimate bonding scene very inappropriate. However, physiologically and mentally (as a Kitsune) he's closer to a much shorter 18-year-old (the Kyuubi continues to accelerate time in the Mindspace to mentally mature him and her physical changes to his anatomy are on par with this). Obviously, this made the entire event a big point of contention in the first release of the story yet I kept it in to highlight the differences in human and Kitsune culture.

Keep in mind, a 4-tailed Kitsune in this fanfic is/ would be over 400 years old; a Kitsune spends their first 100 years as a chibi fox, develops their bipedal form (if they successfully develop a Reika network), then earn another tail for every 100 years of additional life. As they can live to be over 1,500 years old (or more), that correlates to a 26-year old human.

Naruto is a 4-tailed Kitsune at this point in the story so the Kitsune do not see him as a child. Furthermore, the Kyuubi (for her future plans) does not want him seen or treated as a child because she wants him to defect to the Kitsune for good. I did not flesh this out point for point in the original story as it works in to the story over the entire fiction.

The amount of time Naruto spent in the mindscape mentally developing under Kyuubi's guidance both underscored and minimized exactly how much time dilation affected his development. The biological changes she made also kept pace with his growing mind. Unfortunately, this did little to nothing for his emotional development meaning that, while he was "older" by Kitsune standards, he (emotionally) is not prepared for the older life other Kitsune will see and hold him to.

It makes writing such scenes challenging if you want to keep it above the level of gratuitous smut, especially if you address the psychological ramifications of those decisions.

The Kitsune, as a society, do not hold to human values and culture. They don't age the same. They don't have the same type of societal standards. They don't view Kitsune development the same as humans view human development and therein lies the conflict as one group tries to hold on to Naruto's humanity while another attempts to completely subsume him mentally, physically, and emotionally as one of their own.

Snug in the middle of this conflict enters Samui who, in this story, is a Kitsune spy that has lived the last decade or so among humans (with her surviving brother) and is no stranger to the laws and values humans place on their young. Does she know upfront that Naruto is the no-kidding Taichou of the entire Kitsune world? No, not at this point where she has been introduced to the Namikaze estate.

She is aware that Konoha (the humans) will see the pubescent Naruto as a child regardless of the fact that this same society considers him a child soldier able to lie, cheat, steal, and kill on its behalf. Old enough to kill and all that...

Odd how people turn a blind eye to a child taking the lives of adults but poo-poo everything else that comes with such a violent and emotionally destabilizing life? Hmmm...

For that reason, I left the scene in. It's pivotal to his "indoctrination" into Kitsune life and Kyuubi's plans. It also highlights the fact that I've been reinforcing in a more mature sounding and acting Naruto for this story. He's being groomed to be a Kitsune leader. The bombardment of pheromones he is exposed to during the marking of his entire household is intentional as part of the bijuu's plans, despite Samui's unwitting participation in it. The final coup de gras by the Twins is intentional as part of Kyuubi's plan to win him over through sensory overload - the bonding binds the clan leader to his servants as much as it bonds the servants to their master/ mistress.

Remember, this is a story about a person's change in character and whether or not its influenced more by their internal character and personal fortitude over external factors in their environment and upbringing. For that purpose, the Kitsune will become my greatest external source of pressure in Naruto's growth.

_~Ja Ne!_

~III~


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** I don't know if it's the internal-grump in me that makes me chuckle when someone claims boldly "You don't know what a harem is..." because they seem to be able to read my mind through a computer screen. I assure you, **#Usagi Sorano**, I know exactly what a harem is, and sex with multiple women does not automatically make it a harem. If that was all it took, then a great many men, mostly those with fame and a butt-ton of money, could claim having had a harem at one point or another in their lives without ever having to pay child support. The definition of a harem involves "wives and concubines" and, until he starts a steady relationship with multiple women or marries and/or starts popping out kids by the score with women he shares a home, it's not a harem. The Twins are the Kyuubi's Handmaidens, not Naruto's concubines; physical gratification is a nice bonus to be sure but not a guarantee by any stretch. Seriously, I think you horny fanfic fans think sex is the only qualification for a harem these days.

Clearly, your favorite authors spoil you terribly...

**#Mattroxursoul: ** You've provided a lot of really good feedback and, for that, I thank you. You are correct in that Naruto's classmates weren't really meant to be a challenge for him in the original story, at least not right away. To be honest, "Duckbutt" was meant to peak, wane, then peak again so the challenges will come and go. The first story, "Nature of the Beast", was meant to provide (and admittedly too long) lead up for the real challenges meant in his life, which started to crop of near the late-middle of the first story and grow through the sequel, "Taming of the Savage Beast". Since this story combines both previous versions, there will be more meat as we move along. Promise.

I will admit that balancing character development with humor and action to keep people interested is not easy as some writers make it. However, I have faith that quality feedback like yours will help me improve the story as we move along.

Now, sorry for the delay in posting and on with the non-harem fan service!

_~Siva'a-tasi~_

~I I I~

* * *

**Warning:** Adult Conversations and Martial Geekery!

* * *

**Note: **Edited 8/10/2020 to include the correct lake scene.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Growth and Change**

~III~

* * *

It was a pleasant late afternoon up on the third floor of the Namikaze manor home and Ino was dreading her nearing deadline to return home. She spent so little time with her favorite blond as it was so quiet moments like the one she was presently enjoying were few and far between.

The beautiful venue of the Namikaze Estates didn't hurt all that much either, it being unlike her clan's smaller tract of land, most of which was used to grow their diverse supply of plants keeping her family's business open all year 'round. No, the rolling fields, lush foliage, and sculpted earth very much suited her on peaceful afternoons like today.

She could see Naruto's clones moving about the grounds on their patrol and the servants bringing in the animals for the night as she lounged against one of the support columns to the roof with her legs kicked all the way out. Ino's fingers idly stroked the blond mane of the boy laying in her lap, his eyes closed peacefully for once. Her brow furrowed in worry at the thought of him not being able to sleep well without human contact, Samui's shared tales over coffee about his nightmares wrenching at her heart.

It was her night to lounge with him and she enjoyed the setting sun from the third-floor veranda. She also liked the closeness they shared in the final hours of the day and remembered that it gave him some measure of calm.

Looking down into his unwrinkled face, she studied the angled lines of his features, the sharp jaw, and strong cheekbones. How contented he seemed now free from the horrors of the night that haunted him. Coming from a relatively stable home, the platinum blond found it difficult that such an adorable boy could possibly suffer so much before he'd even matured into a respected member of adult society.

She rested her palm against his whiskered cheeks and his head nudged it subconsciously, a smile tugging lightly at the corner of his mouth.

_'It couldn't have been that bad, even with the Kyuubi... could it?'_

She had to know.

Gently patting his chest, she whispered a plea for his forgiveness and flashed a quick series of seals.

"_**Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu!"**_ she breathed out in a hushed voice as her vision dimmed then swirled in a kaleidoscope of colors, her mind feeling a tug just before the swirling sensation stopped and she blinked. Then gravity took over and she fell into a pool of crystal-clear water shaped like a big box.

Splashing to the surface to grab a quick breath of air, she floated long enough to wonder why there was gravity here in the first place and how this gorgeous pool was in Naruto's mind.

She marveled around the square room, the tiles around the edge of the pool colored a pristine white porcelain fading to a deep blue the further down into the water you went. It was all well-lit with soft glowing blue lights embedded into the sides of the pool making everything ethereal.

The pool itself wasn't very deep but one side of it grew very shallow as it led up a ramp to dry ground.

She had enough composure to be briefly elated that she'd made it in this time without yelling at the top of her lungs; it wouldn't do to wake up her sleeping patient.

The floor beyond the pool was more marbled tiles paved up to the edge of the room where a dimly-lit tunnel meandered out of the square-shaped chamber. The walls were a lustrous cherry-colored wood, golden torch sconces evenly spaced along the wall every two meters or so, the ones on the left side emitting a rich blue flame and the ones on the right a deep red flame.

As she waded out of the pool onto the dry marble squares of slate grey lined with gold veins, she shook the water from her hair and began her excursion down the long hallway and into the unknown.

Normally she'd float wherever she needed to go in someone's mind, but the normal laws of physics seemed to apply here implying she'd have to work for her prize. With a reaffirming huff, she moved on.

Forward it was then.

The flames along the wall doubled in brightness, the sconces bursting to life as she moved along the corridor and eventually came to a large set of shoji doors made of the same rich cherry wood. She noticed something odd with the thin paper and leaned close enough to see carefully brushed patterns of watered pink tones imprinted onto the shoji panels.

The designs were breathtaking, dancing cranes and soaring dragons frolicked with prancing foxes giving chase in a garden of cherry blossom trees. The detail was exquisite and, as she stared, the brushed images began to writhe and flow from panel to panel like pink smoke. She gasped and then started in surprise as the doors parted on their own to reveal a much larger square chamber.

The marble tiling ended at the entryway and the entire floor was made of that same gorgeous cherry wood flowing halfway up the remaining shoji panels giving the room a comfortable weight. The square room appeared to be divided into four sections, a door in the middle of each wall and the room quartered by a raised platform in the center also made of the same deep wood, several steps leading up to a low table with a tea kettle resting on a hearth-style cookfire. She began to let her eyes wander as they drank in the opulence of this one chamber.

Most people had empty caves of space with balls of light resembling their memories. Naruto's brain was breathtaking, and she giggled involuntarily, her hand slapping to her mouth to stifle her sounds.

She needed to see it all!

The corner of the room to her left looked like someone had set up a study. Huge bookshelves contained row upon row of tomes in all shapes, sizes, and colors reaching high up the wall and fading from sight. A large wooden desk sat in the middle of this quartered section and a stand-up calligraphy station lay nearby. There were several scrolls on the desk and her curiosity got the better of her. Glancing through them she found a couple on advanced political topics and deciphering body language in negotiation. Another set of scrolls appeared to be about agriculture and architecture, very eclectic topics for someone to be studying simultaneously then she remembered what Naruto's future plans entailed and it made sense. He was preparing to step into the Uzu crown where he would be thrust into the political ring full time.

She smiled as she saw pictures of herself and Hinata centered on his desk. As she watched, another portrait of Samui appeared in between the two and she smiled softly.

Looking up from the desk, she saw nine statues arranged in the opposite entry corner, their backs to the walls behind them, which was covered with more bookshelves lined with more scrolls and tomes. Behind them was a large framed map of a small island marked Uzushio no Gakure. All of the statues were of very severe-looking men, older men with long beards and wearing flowing robes. Each bore the Uzu hitai-ate with name plaques along the bottom. Reading over a few, she realized they were all Uzumakis of one sort or another… wait, that one was a Senju and that one was a Terumi. She wondered briefly if they were famous or powerful?

Her exploration took her to each corner and each door. The door closest to the study hall led to a stone garden and Koi pond. In the middle of the garden stood a statue of Naruto, his hands held together almost as if he'd been captured, his Kitsune ears and tails on display. Despite the tranquility of the garden she turned away and found her way at the other doors, the northern one leading to the long hallway filled with even more doors and the other set of double panels by the statues led to large meadow holding a steaming pond and a dense forest just beyond.

_There was so much to explore and she still hadn't found his vault of memories!_

Turning from this last set of doors, her eyes focused on the rather large bed wondering who could possibly sleep here until her gaze caught the portrait hanging above it on the wall.

The painting style she wasn't familiar with, but the gorgeous woman seated on the chair caught her attention. More disturbing was the image of Naruto standing next to her in the intimate position of his hand on her shoulder. Perhaps she should hold him down until he explained to her just who this mystery woman was? She was beginning to get hot under the collar as it was clear that the two were of the same age despite the woman's very womanly endowments. _How could she breathe with things that big stuck to her chest?_

Her ice-blue eyes had begun their inevitable envious descent to her still growing chest when someone cleared their throat behind her and Ino froze.

"**You most certainly do _not_ belong here."**

The voice was female and… intrigued? Ino slowly spun around and came face to face with a red-headed woman that appeared to be about her age, a very familiar woman at that. Glancing back at the framed painting on the wall, she recognized her right away then noticed the pupil slits in her eyes and blanched.

"K-K-Kyuubi?!"

The predatory grin from the large-busted demon did nothing to help Ino relax.

"**How very right you are, Ino-**_**chan**_**."**

Ino grew even paler. _Oh, sweet Kami's granny garter belts, the Kyuubi knew her name._

Kyuubi sauntered down from the raised platform towards the young blonde and Ino's feet reflexively began to carry her backwards and away from the powerful demon. Eventually, she ran out of runway and her thighs bumped against the large mattress, to which the terrified girl immediately altered course in a circular pattern back towards the door she came in through.

"**You're very fortunate on two counts." **The disgustingly pretty fox demon lifted two fingers into the air and Ino gulped in response.

Ino raised an eyebrow and chuckled nervously. "Oh? How so?"

She was stalling trying to remember how to leave hoping it wasn't too obvious.

"**A while back, Naruto changed his mindscape from that dreary cage I used to live in and into this," **one delicately clawed hand waved around aimlessly, **"…den of luxury." **

Ino greatly feared those claws her eyes flickering nervously between those sharp tools of death to the amused blood-red orbs treating her like a tasty piece of venison.

**"It has directly contributed to the fact that I no longer live in my fifty-foot demon fox form and devour unwanted intruders of his mindscape."**

Ino came to a stop with her back up against one of the enormous pillars holding up a ceiling she couldn't see. The Kyuubi kept walking until her chest bumped up against Ino's forcing a mildly-panicked gulp from the younger female.

"**You should not come here uninvited, Ino-**_**chan**_**."** Kyuubi leaned in until she was just centimeters from Ino's face. **"I'd hate to have to destroy your mind and make Naruto-kun weep for your loss."**

Chest now pressing uncomfortably against Ino's, Kyuubi chomped her teeth and gave a rude surge of chakra forcing the blonde out of Naruto's head. She smiled knowing she had more than made her point and smiled even more feeling very pleased with herself for not destroying the nosy girl before sauntering off to nap on her comfy bed.

She absolutely loved that bed.

* * *

Ino's eyes shot open and her head snapped up. It took a few minutes to regain her composure before she looked down into the still peacefully resting face of her fiancé. Resolving not to do that again, her face twisted up in despair as she realized that even Kyuubi was more stacked than she was. Her hands slowly cupped her own still growing breasts and a sad look turned down the corners of her pretty mouth.

Curse those Kitsune genes.

~I I I~

* * *

_**Elsewhere In the Mindscape…**_

* * *

Naruto found out that, in his mindscape at least, he was the master of time and space. He could even make shadow clone-like copies. He could also bleed as he'd discovered during more than one sparring session.

At least he didn't lose real fingers and toes learning the art of seals under two of the greatest Fuuinjutsu masters in the elemental nations. That was some comfort as he fumbled his way under real instructors despite his quick ability to learn such a difficult art. Though they were harsh, Ieanaga and Shinjitsu were both fair no matter how frustrating they could be, especially when they finally began listening to his suggestions about a new training seal he planned to use in the underground facility...

As it was, he was working through his frustrations with his village, Team Seven, and not being able to touch either Hinata or Ino in the way he _really_ wanted. He considered that _really _irritating.

Here it was, he was in one of the rooms off of the hall behind Kyuubi, the one marked with two forearms and fists crossed in an "X" on the outer door working off those aggravations with good old-fashioned sweat and pain. Inside, he'd recreated the training area that now ran beneath his home's open-aired dojo and, with the help of his newest family members, he was putting himself and his mindspace through its basic paces.

Standing in one of the off-centered circles, Naruto stood in dark blue shinobi shorts and Konoha headband. He wore nothing else other than the wraps adorning his wrists/forearms and feet/insteps.

"Again!" a voice barked out just behind him and to his left.

Naruto assumed the starting position, raising his left knee until it was parallel with the ground, his right arm bent ninety-degrees across his body and his left arm bent ninety degrees straight up and blocking his face, before stomping his left foot on the ground (cracking it) and bending his knees slightly.

"_Naname no Hiji!"_ Naruto slid his left foot forward, twisting his upper body to the left, his right elbow arching up before slashing downward and across his body. His left fist opened palm down and snugged up firmly against his chin. When he completed the motion, he swept his right leg behind his body pivoting so that he was facing the other direction while repeating the slashing strike with the other elbow. Each motion was accompanied by the clenching of his abdomen and a hissing expulsion of air from his lungs.

"_Rebaresshingu no Hiji_!" Without hesitation, he reversed his arms, his left elbow retracing its path up and across his body with his right elbow in hot pursuit. His right elbow came up from his right hip and end up with his fist near his left ear and his elbow slashing diagonally across his body to about chin height, his left leg forward. He stepped again across his body and brought his left elbow up and across in the same manner, his right arm seamlessly assuming the guard.

"_Kaiten Suru Hiji Dageki!_" Naruto stepped backwards once and spun his body one-hundred eighty degrees, his elbow swinging up from his waist up to the height of his head and repeated the motion two more times, his body making complete revolutions with each strike. He quickly reversed his motion and swung his other elbow up in the other direction.

"_Daburu no Hiji!_" Naruto rolled forward leaping into the air with his arms over his head, his hands tucked in on either side of his head. When he reached his apex, he crunched his core, his knees rising up to his chest as he brought both elbows smashing down on to the imaginary head of an enemy. He landed and executed two quick reverse steps, his legs sweeping up into the bent knee defense before stomping down behind him, his left leg ending in the front guard.

"Appākattoerubō Dageki!" Stepping forward from the guard position and bending his knees slightly before flexing his legs up from the ground, Naruto twisted his body slightly and slashed his elbow straight up into the air. Lifting his lead leg, the boy spun and stepped forward with his right leg to repeat the upwards slash with his opposite elbow, waiting for the next call.

"_Furontoerubō Suiryoku!_" His lead leg drew in half the distance to his rear leg before he exploded forward, his taped feet sliding across the stone as his elbow shot up, his right hand cupped near his opposite ear, before his right elbow shot out in front of his body like a short spear. As his momentum came to a halt, his rear leg came in to hover near his front leg while his body rotated in the opposite direction. As his arms smoothly switched position, his body exploded back in the direction he came from to repeat the motion with his left arm.

"_Shitamuki no Hiji Dageki!_" Naruto raised up on one leg, his right arm raised and folded in half before jerking his elbow downward. Lifting his rear leg and pivoting in the opposite direction, he repeated the motion with the other set of appendages.

"_Suihei Hiji Dageki!_" Naruto took a half step forward and brought his elbow across his body, his right arm sweeping horizontally across his body while his left swung backwards as a counter pendulum. He spun in place and repeated the strike with his left arm.

"_Dageki Hiji!_" Naruto took a sliding step forward, his leading left arm dropping in front and across his body while his right arm came up to guard his faces. His upper body pivoted so that his imaginary opponent could see his ribs just a second before the boy's lead elbow shot out to chin height. Lifting his lead leg and pivoting backwards to his rear, the body swept his right leg forward until it was in the lead and repeated the lunging elbow strike with his right hand.

"_Sumasshu-Kudari Hiji Dageki!_" Naruto raised his right leg to smash it down on the ground, his right elbow raising in tandem to also smash down directly onto someone's head. Reversing his body to face the other way, he repeated the motion with his left leg and arm.

He froze in that final position, his feet in the center of the circle.

"_Nokori!_" Naruto relaxed as the training session on elbows came to an end.

"Good, next we work on knee strikes and sweeps. Once that's done, I want you to run through a complete set fifty times before you rest for the night." Inside, Abareruken-sensei was very pleased even if he wasn't allowed to yet state so.

Naruto barked out a sharp, "Hai!" smirking at the fact that his body was already asleep, and he wished that he could be there with it. He almost missed Kyuubi slipping away with her face and neck red as her robes.

When Ken-sensei finally faded into his statue an hour later, Naruto looked around the main chamber of his mindscape and found Kyuubi sprawled out on the circular bed, her hair and tails fanned out like a halo. She was absentmindedly twirling some of her hair around a few fingers of her left hand and humming a tune he found eerily familiar. When he sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes flicked over to his sweaty avatar and her nose wrinkled a bit. It was a tough sell since his active, youki-enhanced kitsune pheromones and body sweat created an interesting push-pull dynamic to vixen receptor glands.

She tried to forestall ripping off his remaining clothes by sitting up and motioning for him to follow her outside. She calmly opened the eastern door that led to the flowery meadows then, turning sideways and wrinkling her nose again, lifted one arm imperiously - and pointed to the steaming water.

Naruto chuckled and unwrapped his arms and shins before shucking both his shorts and boxers and striding into the lake, sighing at contact with the surprisingly warm water.

He had no reason to be ashamed. Why bother? She had seen him naked his entire life. His brief concern about streaking into the lake did however make him curious about something else and this seemed like as good a time as any to ask.

Swiping the water from his face so he could see, Naruto began sudsing up his hands as the great Kyuubi flopped down onto the nearest rocky perch and folded her legs enough to rest her elbows on her knees.

"Neh, Kyuubi-chan. Why do they act like that?"

**"I know that I am supposed to be all-powerful, kit, but you're going to have to be more specific than that."** She cocked her head to one side and leveled her best smirk at the sighing blond.

"Why do women act weird around me?" She wanted to giggle at the question but the serious concern on his face told her that would probably be a bad idea. Clearing her throat, she settled in to have "a talk" with the Uzu Prince.

**"Look at your reflection in the water and tell me what you see."**

The still-growing boy glanced down and frowned in concentration. To be honest, he saw very little difference from what he saw on a daily basis and he felt awkward critiquing his own appearance but he decided to give it a shot. What did he have to lose?

"I'm not ugly but I'm not the best looking in the village. Teme has had girls fawning over him for years and I'm sure there are better looking out there." He saw the rugged edges of his medium build and flexed at his reflection with a soft _"Raaawwwrrrrrr!"_ Kyuubi chuckled softly.

**"Well?"** she prodded.

"Okay, I'm not in bad shape, better than most but I worked hard to get this." Kyuubi nodded in agreement.

**"That you did but all of these changes were jump-started by my chakra when I directly infused your body with it."**

This worried him for a second. "Am I going to grow a hundred feet tall, turn into a raging battle Kitsune and start levelling towns?"

She guffawed from her perch.** "No! But you will be more… animalistic in certain aspects of your life, especially around your vixen but that is just how I want it."**

"Hunh? Why would anyone want that?" His mind flickered to recent memories of strange women grabbing his hands and hugging limbs.

**"Because, despite what you think, I'm getting you ready for the rest of your life as the Taichou, not as a shinobi. By the time you've outgrown your pesky human habits and morals, you'll be ready to get introduced to Kitsune society as a whole."**

Naruto paused as he considered this. "How long do I have before that happens?"

**"At least fifty or sixty years I'd guess."**

Naruto blanched. "But... but... I'll be ancient then!" Kyuubi started snorting with how hard she was laughing. Once she could suck in a steady stream of air, she decided to clear up a few things.

**"Posh! You'll live for another thousand years easily."** (Heavy Sigh) **"Don't forget to get behind your ears."**

Naruto grimaced and began rubbing his soapy fingers through his hair and behind his very human ears.

**"No... I meant the other pair."**

With an, "Ooooooh, I get it" look on his face, Naruto exhaled slowly and his ears elongated as his four furry banners streamed out behind him and began churning the water of the lake.

**"Those tails highlight my point."** Naruto seemed confused. (Sigh again) **"How old are you Naru-kun?"**

He grimaced but responded, "Thirteen next week."

Kyuubi nodded. **"And how often do Kitsune get new tails?"**

"Every one hundred years starting after they successfully make the transition from their kit phase into their full Hanyou form." His answer was automatic and the Kyuubi nodded pleased that the raw information was there even if he lacked practical world experience to make use of it all.

**"So, if I were to go by your tails alone, how old should you be?"**

Naruto grew very pale. "Over... four hundred years old?"

**"Correct!"** She happily clapped her hands together. **"When I made you a Kitsune, I cheated for lack of a better term. I biologically shot you past Kitsune puberty and into full adulthood, which Kitsune normally reach once they passed the two hundredth year of life. The extra two tails were an unexpected, and pleasant surprise, based on what's happened to you since then."**

The blond was paying very close attention now.

**"You need to be prepared for your emergence into the Kitsune world and make no mistake it will happen long before either of us are ready for you to do so."** Her head tilted to the other side with a troubled sigh. **"It always ends up that way so I wanted to make sure you had an edge, physically, mentally, and biologically over the Kitsune that are going to challenge you for your position because you don't already have the eight tails needed to technically qualify for the job."**

Naruto looked back to the waving snakes of fur in the water behind him. Tatsua had been very clear on what Kistune prized above all else in a leader - power - and nothing gave a more adequate representation in the Kitsune mind more than the number of tails attached to a Kitsune body. It was an automatic filter that established status at a distance, almost as much as gender in the predominately female race of Hanyou.

Kyuubi's voice pulled him out of deeper retrospection.

**"So yes, I cheated. I made you physically older in both your Kitsune form and your Hanyou image. Even though you have the emotional development of pre-teen, you have the mental capacity of a young adult with genius-level brains and the body to match. You're taller, stronger, faster and that image plays well to power. Perception is reality after all."**

Naruto glanced down to the water's surface again and took particular note of his leaner features, the continuing erosion of his cherubic baby fat. He knew his growth spurt the last few years was unprecedented but he'd attributed that to his father who was known to be above average height, not the Kyuubi tinkering with his genes.

**"I also jump-started your Kitsune biology, which is chemically predisposed to seducing Kitsune and human females alike by spiking their body's natural response to a strong male. You'll need the edge when you're dealing with powerful Kitsune matriarchs, at least until you can prove that you are physically more powerful than they are. The effect your pheromone-producing glands have on the fairer human sex was, I will admit, an unforeseen bonus."** He glanced up to Kyuubi's lecherous smirk and whispered a single word in response.

"Ero-Kyuubi." The large anime arrow stabbing her in the heart didn't make him feel any better about his situation.

~III~

* * *

_**In Konoha…**_

* * *

With over a month to go until the exams, Kurenai's team resumed their regular training and D-ranked mission assignments under a reduced schedule; Kurenai didn't want to wear them out beforehand and definitely accepted nothing with the potential to escalate above a C-Rank.

Wherever possible, Naruto introduced ideas to tweak their D-rank missions by imposing aggressor forces to increase the difficulty, often playing the enemy force himself (with clone augments) or providing the opportunity for his teammates to do the same. The strategic and tactical benefits for babysitting (VIP Sentry Duty) and even retrieving Tora (courier escort missions) were enormous and Kurenai didn't object to the decreased achievement rate so long as the Hokage continued to indulge them with the occasional C-rank mission supplements within Hi no Kuni's borders. Finding a book in the shinobi library discussing mid-level chakra training methods, he helped revive some of the more tedious manual labor missions once the group could link them to a specific elemental affinity.

Kurenai found her genin less likely to object to less glamorous assignments once they were explained in those circumstances and, overall, their high completion rate increased along with their enthusiasm.

One out-of-area C-rank, however, came as a special request from the Daimyo of Wave requesting Naruto's team as part of a routine procedure supporting their refurbished statehood ascension. It was to be the first of five such occurrences before the international community of recognized rulers.

The Nami Daimyo, through Fire Country's counterpart, was requesting a joint inspection team consisting of Samurai and Shinobi to evaluate their current state of military affairs after being freed from Gato. As a formal inspection, the mission was expected to take a week and each official party was requested to start the following Monday.

Surprised by the request, Team Eight set out late in the week prepared to catch up with the small populace that had made such a large impact on their lives.

As Samui's interview with Torture and Interrogation was to happen the same week Team Kurenai was to be away, Naruto left instructions, as well as pre-signed forms, noting his concurrence as Namikaze clan head, for Samui to wed should Konoha wish to immediately assign her those missions he deemed unacceptable. It was to be used only as a last resort and Naruto had to work extra hard to convince the stoic ninja that the course was best for the clan and, more importantly for Naruto's peace of mind.

His growing affections for her demanded, no, necessitated that she remained safe so he could concentrate in Wave Country. She reluctantly, very reluctantly, agreed.

Naruto left exhausted thinking she argued extra vigorously against the option - on purpose - and her very satisfied smirk refused to admit one way or the other. He'd never given soo many massages in his life. Hell, even his fingernails were tired but at least he felt she'd be okay with him beyond Konoha's fortress-like walls.

Safely on the road to Wave, Naruto turned his attention to the inspection at hand, his growing concern for Wave Country's inhabitants obliterated at the official welcoming party that greeted them once they crossed the Great Naruto Bridge (his first shock upon arrival).

* * *

_**At the Great Naruto Bridge, Wave Country…**_

* * *

Met personally by the Daimyo and the samurai contingent (his second shock), they were treated to a newly revitalized Wave economy. People were well-fed and well-dressed, the docks were filled with ships loading prized Wave Country tobacco and farming produce, and the village square was bustling with activity spurred by the ant-like workers of the dock. Smaller merchants with holds full of ice were loading the fresh catch of the day while inbound merchants unloaded stocks of ore, lumber, salt, spices, bright bolts of linen, and preserved stores of beef.

Trade, at best, is a fluid dynamic, and Wave was still finding its rhythm having once been disrupted by the greedy Gato horde. Naruto smiled and turned his eye to the bustling village, noting areas where new homes and shops were going up as they stood and watched.

Team Eight also noticed the intense interest of the samurai contingent, their lead waiting patiently (and anxiously) to engage the shinobi group even as they followed respectfully behind the young Daimyo as befitting her station.

Turning from the docks and the friendly workers waving and shouting at the returned heroes, their procession found its way into the heart of a revitalized town. Based on the warm reception, the Daimyo had informed her populace as to who the masked ninja was, much to Naruto's stunned shock, but there was nothing he could do about it really. He did find the idea of an entire nation sworn to secrecy absurd and impossible to maintain.

Naruto instead dropped the self-destructive introspection and paused with an appreciative eye at the new smithy recognizing the now less haggard face of a man he'd once seen squatting along the roadside with his family after having had everything taken from him by Gato's men. The man stood over an anvil now, sleeves rolled up to keep them free of burning cinders and open flame. The once hollow face was full of life as he pounded horseshoes and fresh tool heads into shape under the direction of a burly man garbed as a samurai retainer, the familiar hair cut a telling sign that the trainer had originally arrived with the team sent by the Fire Daimyo. Eventually, this smith would progress to the highly prized weapon skills needed to outfit this nation's new defense force, but, for now, he diligently toiled to learn the basics under a seasoned master.

Once the rest of the Daimyo's group came to a halt in front of the shop, the trainer nudged his student who, so engrossed in his trade, had not appreciably noticed their arrival. Once the Daimyo and their samurai lead appeared, the two paused to render proper respect, the trainee smith blubbering his gratitude to his ruler for her benevolence in his chosen career. As she waved away his gratitude, he stood and froze once he recognized that the hero of Wave also paused to admire his work.

It shocked him to his core and, humbled as he was, he fell on the ground kneeling before Naruto, much to the latter's embarrassment and his mentor's surprise (as he had no idea who Naruto was). As the blond was helping the man to his feet, his trainer's eyebrow quirked in confusion when the smith's wife and children, one boy and one girl, noticed the whiskered shinobi and darted forward to bow and scrape, now making the young Genin thoroughly flustered. It took intervention from the Daimyo to calm down the group and, once the pandemonium ebbed, Naruto was able to ask the question which originally crossed his mind when he'd first stopped, which was whether or not the smithies would let him pass the time with them at the forge.

With a quick look to Tseguro behind the Daimyo, Kobuyashi Anbiru agreed, given as Akibara Chikao had frozen in nervousness at Naruto's request, repeatedly stating that his meager anvil was unfit for the village's hero. Waving away the admission stating that any opportunity to learn seeks only to improve the skill of the student, and Naruto very much considered himself still a blacksmithing student, the eager blond stepped up to the forge while cinching up his sleeves while taking a spare hammer in hand.

Chikao beamed.

As the teacher began to describe what he was conveying to the now increasingly nervous Chikao (whose eyes were now taking an extreme interest in the cleanliness of his meager shop), Naruto began to ask penetrating questions from concerning metallurgic mixes and solutions to controlling aerial contaminants during the curing process in an open-air smithy.

It quickly became evident to Anbiru, and to Tseguro taking note from behind the amused Daimyo, that Naruto was not a complete novice to the trade and their conversation immediately dipped to a technical level that quickly bypassed Chikao's fledgling knowledge base. Keeping an eye on Chikao, Naruto would pause to explain the purpose of his questions and why it was important as to maintaining the ore's purity during the curing process so the tool being made didn't degrade and corrode through contamination. Anbiru-san simply nodded, as the extra information was critical to this stage of development, one he'd set aside for later while focusing on forging mechanics, assuming they'd redo the end product again and again once his student's basic skill allowed the inclusion of another variable. Naruto clearly needed no such consideration.

So, as the tour took an unplanned break, someone finding a chair for the Daimyo to perch upon, Naruto slipped into an instructor-slash-student mode and unsealed a block of high-grade iron from his personal stores to fashion a new harvesting sickle as it was on Chikao's list of tools to craft for the day.

By now the crowd had grown to half the village. With word of Team Eight's arrival, many wished to see the multi-talented hero working side by side with their village's brand-new blacksmith.

Chikao's wife was a blushing mess and she quickly darted inside to prepare fresh tea for her special guests. Once the Daimyo, her aide, Lord Tseguro, and the visiting dignitaries were all taken care of, she sent her children to fill a fresh pail of water from the pump so that the working men of the forge could cool themselves. Her hands fluttering in worry, she froze like a frightened deer when Hinata calmly grabbed her hands and began speaking in calming tones to the smithy's wife assuring the woman that Naruto was uncomfortable with overly big displays and that a calming motherly person is more likely what he'd respond best to. Getting the woman to take deep, cleansing breaths, Hinata was able to bring her hysteria down to a workable level.

Kurenai was proud of her genin's ability to read the mood. She also had an outstanding bedside manner.

True to Naruto's generally unreserved and oblivious nature, his cinched sleeves did little to evaporate the great heat built-up working at a forge, so the young shinobi, much to Hinata's delight and the delight of every other hot-blooded female within visual range, shed his fancy outer garments per his usual crafting routine, exposing his much thicker build while swinging the hammer in time with Anbiru's tutelage, his muscles heaving, constricting, then rippling in time with the heavy-hammered strikes.

The three flowed into an easy rotation discussing techniques and workflow while switching out time on the anvil and forge, Naruto even displaying an impressive measure of Katon usage in purging the impurities from the curing vat through the churning white-hot metal in the tempering stage for the blade. The younger crowd "oohed" with every bright burst of flame, but it was all completely lost on the lightly panting female audience who just wanted to enjoy the show.

Under his constant and demanding Uzumaki physical development program (and with Kyuubi's anatomical tinkering making him taller and older looking), Naruto's body had begun to thicken noticeably across the shoulders, chest, and arms while keeping an incredibly-tight core. He looked like a blacksmith.

According to several younger girls in the crowd, Naruto's tribal tattoos and seals (the Whirlpool seals along his shoulders and chest) gave him a "bad-boy" image they found VERY appealing, a few making the mistake of wondering aloud if he were single within earshot of Hinata and Tatsua.

In an hour's time, Naruto handed off the finished blade of high-quality steel, shared repeated bows with Chikao, gripped forearms with Anbiru (with a quiet agreement to share more techniques over warm sake), doused his overheated body with a few ladles of water from the cooling bucket (many women drooled here), then grabbed his clothes as he turned to exit the open front of the shop.

He paused when he saw the flushed faces of the young women watching water droplets roll off his upper body. Even Tatsua in chibi fox form was staring (head perked up from Hinata's neck, eyes wide). Many of the women in the crowd, including the Daimyo herself, were sporting nosebleeds, the Daimyo attempting to hide hers behind a kerchief subtly passed by her aide who had one to her own nose.

Naruto used a low-power _Fuuton_ jutsu to produce a localized whirlwind and dry off his body before quickly about-facing and donning his clothing. With a gentle cough to restart a few minds, the group continued without further delay.

Hinata, much to her displeasure, noticed that the Daimyo hovered noticeably closer to the young shinobi for the rest of the tour.

Kyuubi, inside her gilded cage, began to regret her decision to give him the advanced body of an older Kitsune having given him the physical traits of an older teen. The thirteen-year-old looked closer sixteen and that would be a continuing problem if they wanted to defend his virtue from hungry womenfolk… only so they could claim it later themselves.

Hinata spent the rest of their visit defending Naruto from Wave women looking to give him personal tours of various town improvements and tucked-away scenic venues. Tatsua parked herself in his lap and pointedly refused to move any time they were seated outside and a pretty village face wandered too near. Naruto grinned sheepishly and apologized for his poor behavior, which many (mostly female) citizens waved off as him merely blessing the efforts of their village. They, the villagers could only benefit.

Naruto found it disconcerting as he was not a religious figure and wanted nothing to do with being a public figurehead, odd given his once burning desire to become Hokage. He turned down many dinner invitations (respectfully) and a few blatant betrothals.

This didn't stop Naruto from spending many nights (after official business wrapped up) in discussion with the two blacksmiths discussing best practices and weapons, especially once Anbiru took an interest in Naruto's tanto, which was as keen as any blade the experienced samurai had seen and of exceptional quality, as so proclaimed by the older man. The praise forced a blush from the blonde shinobi, one that grew with his embarrassment once the samurai asked if he knew the name of the craftsman that made the blade only to gawk once Naruto hitched a thumb at himself. The conversation quickly turned to curing medium, folding techniques, and ore purity.

Naruto was able to meet Anbiru on a highly technical level despite the limited breadth of his crafting experience. He liked to explore multiple ways to craft the same object and sheepishly admitted to remaking the dagger-like blade eight times before he made one suitable in balance and feel. When pressed as to why he hadn't crafted a sword, Naruto admitted his reluctance to experiment knowing that he had growing to do still and not wanting to have to relearn or remake a particular blade once he'd outgrown it.

That conversation naturally led to a discussion of different types of blades, their histories, and the needed methods of crafting and tempering the various types. This ultimately led to the _kodachi_, a blade often confused incorrectly with the _wakizashi_, or shorter companion blade to the samurai's katana, and the benefits of having something longer than his tanto's daggerlike edge to channel his chakra through. Once his interest was piqued, Naruto spent several nights alongside the duo as they had originally set up Chikao's smithy to craft new blades for samurai being trained to protect the Island country's liege. As an added bonus, Anbiru-san just happened to have the blueprint and a "spare" mold for the _kodachi_.

He was hooked and the blacksmith would later receive his very enthusiastic endorsement as part of the inspection.

His inner craftsman pulled him into their makeshift cabal, Naruto sharing his elemental forging techniques while Anbiru trained him in the making of four new blades, the _kodachi_ becoming his next favorite project as it was traditionally a blade of fixed length, irrespective of the user's height and arm reach. It was a sword he could practice with before learning how to craft the more tailored _daishö _sword sets_. _ The three became quick friends, often spending hours laughing and joking about misadventures long into the night only to realize later the audiences that gathered to laugh along with them. The people of Wave fell in love with their hero, and his more human side, all over again.

Hinata and Tatsua were never far away on those nights and often enjoyed watching the blond jinchuuriki in a relaxed and natural state, something rarely seen in Konoha.

With a couple of trial attempts under his belt, Naruto resolved to craft a companion to his dagger once he returned home, vowing to return to Wave and train again under Anbiru's seasoned hammer. Anbiru even gave him copies of the blueprints for the four types of swords he shown the shinobi how to make.

With Kurenai's supervision, Team Eight spent the great majority of their time in Wave sequestered with the Daimyo working through the logistics required to establish a school for the shinobi arts as well as the requirements for an initial training curriculum, one the group would bring back to Konoha in order to get their draft syllabus reviewed by a certain instructor they trusted. The two women were trying secretly to keep him from the forge at night but had little success.

It was hard denying him the simple pleasure of good male company when so many others back home were trying to kill him. But all good things must eventually end.

Naruto eventually left ahead of the many offers of marriage after the female population heard he had not yet been married. Apparently, being betrothed more than a year in the future did not count, in the eyes of many a desperate lady out to capture the heart of the village hero, and many of the returning noblewomen considered him fair game for pilfering, much to Hinata's, Kurenai's, and Tatsua's on-going annoyance.

Hinata was quick to remind him that his many bare-chested nights with sweat glistening off of his body and heaving muscles by the light of the forge did not help keep the village's women away from him.

It always disturbed him at the incredible level of detail Hinata would use to describe him at the forge and how she and Kurenai always seemed to develop nosebleeds to a point he worried about cranial aneurysms. Naruto, oblivious as ever, just liked the craftwork stating that he could never work the forge clothed because he overheated far too quickly.

Nonetheless, their mission was heralded as a success, Naruto building close ties to the samurai contingent, even garnering tips on how to improve his kenjutsu skills along with his reinforcement training, which closely mirrored the samurai's chakra-fueled kendo arts. More importantly, Naruto was able during his private conversations with the Daimyo to secure several agreements supporting his ultimate relocation to Whirlpool and the beginnings of a strong alliance with Wave.

Team Eight left with greater confidence that Wave would survive on its current course, better able to fend off another greedy attack like Gato's invasion, and Naruto left more confident in his plan to leave Konoha behind.

It sadly would not last. They all, even Shino, noticed how soon his cheerful mode abandoned him and how much more severe his personality became the closer he got to Konoha.

Before they knew it, they were back in Konoha proper leaving Naruto's group of Wave fangirls behind and preparing to arrive at the academy the following Monday to start preparations for the Chunin exams.

Naruto's Kitsune spent the weekend making him "rest up" by not letting him leave the bedroom, ensuring that he took all meals there to maximize his rest. While Naruto didn't mind being snuggled up with beautiful (and very naked) women, he wished they would let him truly rest as they so loudly insisted he needed to.

Combining both the over-attentive care of his vixen and the very diligent training methods of his Uzumaki advisors, Naruto wasn't quite sure if he was going to make it to the Chunin Exams...

* * *

_**In the Underground Training Facility…**_

* * *

Naruto was being ridiculed and he thought it was overkill.

The whole experience wasn't a total catastrophe. Ienaga, as the elder and _Fūinjutsu_ grandmaster, spent the next week training Naruto in the creation of a special seal that would allow him to transfer a mental imprint from each of the respective Elders onto a shadow clone. While the clone would be limited in the distance that it could travel from the host, unlike Naruto's normal shadow clones, it would allow, for a short duration, the elders to take physical form to guide Naruto's training.

Since the physical aspects of his mindscape experiences did not transfer to the waking world, the elders would brook no chance in the boy laying off his training schedule and would take matters into their own hands to beat him into shape. While their cohabitation of a shadow clone would greatly shorten the clone's lifespan, it would provide enough time to accomplish daily training goals. It would do as a matter of course without draining the avatar's chakra.

It took three days for Naruto to master the transfer process and, on the bright and early four o'clock morning of the very next day, Naruto looked into the eyes of his taijutsu instructor with an overriding sense of dread. It was time to put up or shut up. His instructor promised to break him before the end of their first real week of training and the demonic man did his dead-level best to do so after laying down a few rules.

First, Naruto was not allowed to use shadow clones for training unless doing so under his instructor's guidance. He could meet all other mental or menial labor obligations (except for missions with his team) with clones, if he so desired. Naruto's real body belonged to Abareruken-sensei.

Second, no ninjutsu, genjutsu, shoddy kenjutsu, weapons, or chakra enhancement was to be used. He'd use the blood, sweat, and tears of his body and nothing else.

Third, no more junk food except for one meal on his cheat day, and, as Abareruken-sensei shared the same body, he would know if Naruto cheated. His diet wasn't horrible, but it wasn't exactly monitored either and his unnaturally short stature was a direct result of that. Water, unspoiled milk, or green tea were his only official means of liquid refreshment. Period. That included his cheat days.

Fourth, he was not allowed to share the Uzumaki fighting style with anyone other than his immediate family, that meant wives and children, not girlfriends. If he broke that rule, Ken-sensei promised to destroy his martial skills the first chance he had. He was that serious and Naruto gulped loudly full of appropriate terror.

Fifth, Due to the fourth rule, Naruto would need to keep up his mediocre skills in the academy and Kitsune styles of combat. He was to use the Uzumaki style, once he'd reasonably mastered it, only as a last resort. As he would not be practicing either of those styles with Ken-san, as he simply did not know them, therefore, he'd have to find another time to work that in. Abareruken-sensei would allow the first hour only of their morning warm-up sessions, so Naruto would have to work in his own training rotation. He got an hour for the "mediocre arts of his village," no more.

Sixth, Naruto would not be allowed to even think about using the Uzumaki Taijutsu form until his body was sufficiently conditioned. That meant Naruto would not be allowed to throw his first unsupervised punch until the stated six months had ended and he _passed _a skills evaluation. _Then _and only then would they see if he was worthy.

_Ken-sensei conveniently neglected to mention the time spent in the mindscape counted for that instruction._

Finally, Ken-san would either add or subtract rules as he saw fit. It was up to the Uzumaki Prince to alter his impression and prove that he was ready to move on.

It was after receiving these guidelines and repeating them back until he knew them by heart, that Naruto's training hell would begin. He'd have to work in his on-going sealing project in the few hours of downtime Naruto could scrounge up on his own.

~III~

* * *

**A/N: Behind the Scenes - A Study of Danzō Shimura (the Mark of a Proper Story Villain)**

Since I was recently accused of inviting unnecessary angst over the inclusion of Danzō Shimura as a "baddie," I figured it appropriate to share my thoughts on my version of the "Shinobi no Yami."

To do this, we need to first discard the fact that he's an evil SPEC OPS bastard from canon. We also need to throw out the fact that Hiruzen, in canon no less, knew/suspected that his old teammate kept his Root organization up and running but couldn't prove it sufficiently to oust and execute the slimy worm. Let's also toss out that Danzō's work (behind the scenes) actually helped Konoha and allowed it to continue so long as the man didn't cross "certain lines." Let's, while we're throwing things out the window, throw out the fact that Danzō - in canon no less - tried to assassinate the Sandaime, failed, but didn't get executed because of 1) the hassle it would raise, and 2) the Sandaime forgave Danzō for the act provided the sneaky "bastage" dedicated his life to protecting the village. Let's also throw out the subsequent attempt made by Danzō to steal Kakashi's Sharingan where he's confronted by Hiruzen (who would have to be an absolute idiot not to realize that Danzō was using Root agents to do all this abducting.

Have we thrown enough stuff out yet? How is that for Canon Angst?

Now that we've thrown out all the angst in Kishimoto's original story, let's address why I kept Shimura-san as part of my story. Those of you that read the first posting of _NotSB_ know how Shimura-san ends up but you might not know what purpose he serves/served.

Yes, he's the "easy villain" you can point to but my Danzō is Hiruzen's Sasuke Uchiha of the Hokage's generation. He's also a highly skilled wetwork/spy uber ninja that's had "decades" to perfect his art. He wouldn't still be around in a very cutthroat business if Hiruzen had concrete proof (of any sort) on him so I changed some of those historical events.

No, I didn't change his affiliation with Orochimaru as that's vital to key story elements. Some of his motivations are the same, however, my Danzō has different motivations driving him, therefore, he has different objectives.

No, I didn't change most of his history with Hiruzen as that's vital to timeline and story development. Danzō is a driving force behind Konoha's growth as a village.

He is, unfortunately, a large reason behind a lot of the early turmoil in this story because he's a competent villain good enough not to be caught red-handed. You don't make it five generations in an unforgiving business without picking up a few useful skills so he's not overly worried about Hiruzen kicking down his door and dragging him off to the headman's ax.

~III~


End file.
